Of Enemies Unknown
by Nerdiant
Summary: Stuck in a strange new universe, the Doctor has had his share of adventures and along the way has made new companions. Through it all, there has been a silent foe watching and waiting. What will the Doctor do in the face of this new threat? This takes place after the events of ME3 and Season 6 of DW.
1. Dossier: The Doctor

**Dossier: The Doctor**

~ by Nerdiant ~

**1**

* * *

_**[Data Log 1]**_

**This** is the ongoing data log of Agent Thandrus.

The Shadow Broker has ordered me to follow a human called the Doctor. Initial research has proven difficult as I do not have this human's true name. Using the name "the Doctor" along with his physical description hasn't yielded any information from archived data logs or video communications. Apparently the Doctor showed up only a few months after the War. I am not sure if that is a coincidence or not, but it seems suspicious to me that a human with no prior history would suddenly become a recognizable name. Stranger still, quite a number of mercenary groups have begun to steer clear of any known "Doctor hangouts." It seems that the Doctor has begun to earn a reputation. It should be no surprise then that Aria T'Loak has put her feelers out for the Doctor. After reclaiming Omega, I can understand her concern. Omega doesn't need another Archangel on their hands.

_**[Data Log 10]**_

The Doctor has just left Palaven. It seems that he has made some powerful friends. Among them is none other than General Garrus Vakarian. According to the data and video logs, the Doctor defeated an army of something called "Cybermen" a few months ago. I have never heard of these things before and by all accounts they have no affiliation to the Reapers. A new type of geth, maybe? Based on the video feeds I received, the Doctor knew about these Cybermen and knew exactly how to destroy them. For this act alone, Palaven Command has decided to put their trust in this man explicitly. This is the second time that the Doctor has been called on by the Primarch to solve "a problem."

_**[Data Log 24]**_

It has been three days since we left Noveria. I did my best to keep my distance from the Doctor, but Noveria is such a freezing wasteland that it was hard to be inconspicuous. The target seemed completely oblivious to my presence, however. To any presence really. I have been trailing him for almost eight months now, and I have yet to find anything useful information. What I have gathered is only where he is from, Gallifrey, and what he calls himself, a Time Lord. I have never heard of Gallifrey before, but something tells me that this is a code word for one of the planets either in the Terminus systems or maybe in the Attican Traverse. It is clear that he is not from Earth or he else would have mentioned it. The fact that he is putting such a great effort into hiding the name of the planet he's from must mean something. And Time Lord? I have never heard of them. It sounds like one of those doomsday cults that reside in the Shrike Abyssal.

_**[Data Log 36]**_

After a couple of week of losing his trail, I was able to track the Doctor's signature from the Citadel to Rannoch. I am not sure how he was able to get there when he has no ship. I checked all the flights leaving the Citadel and at no time did the target book passage on any of the freighters. The disturbance at the Darkstar Lounge seemed to cause quite the stir. He has attracted the attention of less than savory individuals. He is incredibly aloof most times, but I sense that he is clever and wise beyond his years.

Once I found his signature, it was easy to find the target on the planet surface. It seems that he met up with a group of quarian marines. One of the quarians being the young admiral Tali'Zorah vas Rannoch, a companion to the late Commander Shepard. This target seems to be getting around with some of the old heroes of the War. I wonder if it is a coincidence. My suggestion would be to tail the other companions of the Commander. It could be that the Doctor will soon find his way to them.

_**[Data Log 52]**_

I believe I have found the "ship" the Doctor uses to travel. My eyes and ears on the Citadel have reported a blue box that appears from time to time. Data logs show that this box appears at the same time as a Doctor sighting. I have not seen this blue box myself. I doubt these rumors; however, there is no possible way for the Doctor to be able to fit in a small box and still have FTL capabilities.

I will message one of my contacts on Sur'Kesh. Perhaps he can piece this together for me.

**2**

* * *

**Liara** clicked shut the data logs and sat back in her chair. She had sent Agent Thandrus on this mission a year ago to tail this so-called Doctor and every report Liara received failed to paint a better picture of the man. So far the Doctor had managed to stop a hostile force on Menae and created a friendship with Garrus. _It's good to know that Garrus is keeping busy, _Liara thought. The Doctor also resolved a conflict on Rannoch that could have escalated to all-out war. _Clearly he has principles_, Liara reflected. Getting up from her chair, Liara paced her newly built office, with a hundred screens keeping her updated on the news of the worlds. To her left were more screens, these ones only showing the data logs coming in from her agents while to her right were access terminals for her personal mail, video communications and security feeds of her base of operations. While this place was not as grandiose as the old Shadow Broker lair, she preferred it here. Though in truth, she really preferred the Normandy.

Rounding her desk, she reached down and pulled a data pad that contained the dossier of this man, the Doctor. He had appeared out of nowhere, but his look and his mannerisms had caught the eye of a dozen Agents located in the Citadel. Once he appeared, Liara's data feeds blew up with information on his habits, his manner of dress, the people he talked to, and the strange colloquialisms. One report claimed he was from Earth, while another refuted the claim, saying that he was a sleeper spy from one of the colonies on Horizon. And yet another report claimed he was Cerberus' new Illusive Man. Liara laughed when she read that one; Cerberus couldn't possibly be so desperate as to bring back that moniker.

Reading through the dossier, two words jumped out at her: Time Lord, Gallifrey. She looked at these words over and over, her mind sorting through the volumes of historical texts and archeological discoveries from the hundreds of planets and moons in the galaxy. At no point had she ever encountered a race called Time Lords or a planet or moon called Gallifrey. This all continued to add to the mystery of the man, the Doctor.

Setting down the data pad, Liara made her way to one of the access terminals. She had found something quite interesting since she learned of the Doctor. Each time she did a custom search for "the Doctor" new entries would be found. These were not just new and recent accounts, but older retellings of stories and oral histories. Much older. A few hundred years older. In these annals of history were stories of a strange man in strange clothes who came to save this colony, defeat that enemy, or discover this new bit of technology. How was it that the Doctor, a man she had never heard of before in all her years was suddenly one of the most important men in the galaxy?

Crossing her arms, Liara walked away from the console and made her way to floor-to-ceiling window that faced the large sun of the Micah system within the Vallhallan Threshold. Her mind reeled with ideas and explanations and above all, more questions. There was no possible way that the Doctor could have been alive hundreds of years ago. Unless he had also been frozen, like Javik. Liara shook her head at the thought, "You weren't frozen." she said to herself, "Putting you in stasis would have implied that there were others like you. If there were others like you, there would have been records. There would have been ruins. Something. Anything!" She turned away from the window sharply, and made her way back to her desk. Standing above the consoles, she thought about contacting Garrus or Tali and simply asking them about the Doctor, but she stayed her hand. Contacting them would be an open invitation for them to tell the Doctor that the Shadow Broker was on his tail. On top of that, Liara wasn't even sure if Garrus or Tali fully trusted her now that she had resumed her role as the Shadow Broker. One thing that Liara was sure about was that the Doctor knew about the Shadow Broker and the legend behind the shadowy figure. She couldn't afford to have him know about her just yet.

Content with her decision, she sat down and sent a message to Agent Thandrus:

"Keep following the Doctor. I want a report every 12 hours. –SB"

**3**

* * *

**Agent** Renala Thandrus, human associate of the Shadow Broker, stopped in her tracks as she read the message coming through on her modified Sentry Interface. Giving a quiet acknowledgement to the orders from the Shadow Broker, Renala continued on her way. Ahead of her, she could see the Doctor as he made his way through the marketplace. They had been on Illium for only two days and part of her was growing a little impatient. It seemed that he had no intention of leading her to the blue box or giving her a shred of information by talking to the locals. It appeared he was perfectly content to just watch and listen.

Continuing his leisurely pace, the Doctor stopped and began talking to one of the shop owners in the main market area that led to the docking bay. Renala watched as he and the asari businesswoman talked about her wares and quickly took a seat on a bench overlooking the city. One thing Renala liked about Illium was its beautiful views. It served as an effective distraction from the corruption and greed that this place was known for. Of course, it was only business and Renala respected that, but she did silently thank the maker that she was in the information business which allowed her to travel and see the galaxy.

Keeping her head low, she kept her light green eyes on the target and watched as the Doctor laughed and pointed to the various items on the terminal. Renala knew that he wouldn't buy anything, but the fact that he spent so much time talking to these people made her wonder if he, himself, was gathering information. _For himself? Or for someone else?_ Renala wondered.

After the Doctor thanked the shop owner, he went on his way, nodded politely to the other shop owners before going through a door that led to an access corridor that would take him back to the city commons. Getting up quickly, Renala tailed him and walked through the door. As she peered through the dim corridor, she strained her ears in the hopes of hearing the direction of his footsteps. Upon hearing nothing, she continued on her way.

Rounding a corner, she realized that she was utterly alone. The Doctor was gone. She began to curse under her breath in frustration until she heard a voice from behind her.

"So you're the one who has been following me." A quiet, serious voice said to her. Spinning around, her eyes fell on the Doctor in his tweed jacket, red bow tie and slightly ridiculous hair. "It seems that we have taken quite a journey together and I don't even know your name." Extending a hand, he introduced himself. "I'm the Doctor, and you are?"

Taking his hand, she shook it once and let it fall before she spoke, "Renala Thandrus," she said curtly as she tried to swallow down her failure. The Shadow Broker would be very displeased with her.

"Renala, lovely name!" The Doctor exclaimed as he took a small step towards her. His blue eyes peered down at her as his normal tenor voice continued, "So tell me, Renala, why are you following me? You've been at my back since Menae. You have been with me at Rannoch, at the Citadel, on Noveria, and now you are here." He eyed her up and down, sizing her up, "You don't seem to be a mercenary. They tend to keep their distance from me. So again," he took one more step towards her, "who are you?"

Taking a step back, Renala kept her eyes on him while making a mental note of all possible exits. "It seems that you have caught the eye of some very powerful people, Doctor. I was ordered to tail you and gather as much information as I could. It seems that you never existed until a year ago, and now suddenly you're a name to know."

The Doctor smiled slightly, even sadly, as he nodded in agreement. "Yes, I have been a little too exposed here. My fault really. But you know: new place, new people, new adventures. It's all very exciting!" Regarding her for a second more, he continued, "So these powerful friends of yours, what do they want with me? Are you to capture me? Am I to be taken prisoner? Or are they going to invite me to a lovely dinner? I've always liked a good dinner."

He stepped away from Renala, but her eyes followed him. Clearing her throat she did her best to provide an answer that she thought would satisfy him, "They don't want anything from you, Doctor. They only want to know who you are, where you came from and why you are here. In short, they just want information."

The Doctor chuckled lightly at that, "Information, yes. An information broker is what you are, am I right? I have heard of people in your profession. You deal in information and then you sell it to the highest bidder. Well!" he said as he turned away from her, "it seems that information on me now comes with a price." Crossing his arms, he turned his head to look at her, "Tell me. What do you know about me, Renala Thandrus?"

Looking at him through her Sentry Interface, she called up the dossier that she had been developing since the very beginning. She admitted that it wasn't a lot of information, but for now, she knew it was time to come clean with him. "You're 'the Doctor'," she began, "and only 'the Doctor.' You have not used any other name, but this is obviously an alias." The Doctor nodded, and Renala continued, "You pass yourself off as a human, and will sometimes use the name 'John Smith' when speaking to other humans. But what they don't know is that you are not human. You are a Time Lord." The Doctor kept quiet and motioned for her to go on. "On more than one occasion you have spoken of a planet called Gallifrey, but that planet does not show up on any known galaxy maps so this is clearly a name that you created to keep us from knowing where you are from." Renala began to walk towards him, and took a path to circle him as she continued to talk, "You do not own a ship, but I know that you travel in a big, blue box. I have not seen it, but there are eyes everywhere, Doctor." The Doctor nodded once more, but kept his eyes on the ground. "Somehow," Renala said as she turned to face him fully, "you have managed to make a name for yourself without running a mercenary gang, owning a corporation, or being a politician. You have made a name through your deeds. No wonder you have made friends with the companions of the late Commander Shepard." The Doctor's eyes flickered up to her, and his jaw clenched at the fact that she knew about his new friends. "Admiral Tali'Zorah vas Rannoch and General Garrus Vakarian. Yes, Doctor, those names are known to us. I was with you on Rannoch and Palaven, as you know."

The Doctor smiled stiffly before talking, "So you know about me. Good. I like to keep my secrets, but it seems you and your friends have learned everything they could about me. But in all your fact finding, you failed to find out a few things about me." Taking quick steps towards her he looked her down, "I don't like being researched, and I don't like it when I feel that my friends might be in danger."

Renala placed her hands behind her back and shook her head, 'You misunderstand me, Doctor. I do not wish to harm you or your friends. You wanted to know what I knew, and I've told you. My job," she said as she motioned to him, "is to gather information about you."

The Doctor eyed her suspiciously, "So who sent you? You obviously didn't wake up one day and decide to follow the old Doctor. So tell me," he said as he looked straight into her light green eyes, his voice dropping to one that conveyed the serious nature of the situation, "who sent you?"

"I did." the Shadow Broker's deep, raspy voice said through the eyewear on Renala's face. "I am the Shadow Broker, you've heard of me." It wasn't a question.

The Doctor nodded in affirmation, "I have. The keeper of information and secrets." Renala looked at him, but said nothing; she would let the Shadow Broker speak for himself.

The Shadow Broker continued, "Yes, Doctor. Information. And you," the voice said with a slightest hint of amusement, "have proven to be a difficult person to gather information on. I thought the work you did on Menae was just a story of being at the wrong place at the right time, but afterwards? Your dealings in Noveria, Rannoch, and half the planets in Council space have led me to believe that you are more of a major player than my competitors thought." There was a pause, and the Doctor eyed Renala as the voice continued, "My competitors are not as interested in you as I am. _You_ intrigue me, Doctor. But my competitors," another pause, "they want your blue box."

The Doctor looked down and shook his head, but the voice continued, "I know what it can do, Doctor. And I can help you keep it safe."

The Doctor scoffed as he looked back up to the Renala. "You? Keep it safe? And tell me, Shadow Broker, what have you done exactly that would even make me trust you? You send your Agent to follow me through half the galaxy. You gathered information on me. You listened in on my conversations. You probably have my clothes tapped somehow," he said as his hand went up to check his bow tie for bugs.

There was silence before the voice calmly continued, "As I said, Doctor, you intrigue me. You are clearly a person of immense knowledge and your box, you ship, can travel through time and space." The Doctor clenched his jaw once more as the voice talked on. "I have seen the logs dating back hundreds of years. You must have known that the early humans would make a record of you somehow. And that the Protheans, the Thorian, the Rachni, all of them would have something about you. They knew about you. Even the Reapers have a record of a humanoid matching your very description."

The Doctor held out his hands to the side, "Then what do you want from me, Shadow Broker. You say your competitors want my blue box, and that you only want to help me. There must be a catch. There's always a catch."

The voice remained silent for a second before continuing, "I want to travel with you."

The Doctor took a step forward, a quizzical look on his face as he tilted his head towards Renala, "You want to do what?"

Even Renala's face mirrored the Doctor's confused look, "Shadow Broker?" she asked hesitantly.

"Doctor, I have dedicated my life to studying the ancient civilizations of those who came before us, but I have never been able to piece together their history. You could take me there. You could let me see what actually happened to them."

"You're an archaeologist!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Another one…" he said quietly with a shake of his head. "Typical."

The Shadow Broker went on, "I have to see what happened!" The Doctor narrowed his eyes as the voice that had been calm during their entire conversation was now sounding desperate.

The Doctor turned away from Renala and the voice of the Shadow Broker. "No, I will not take you with me." Turning to look behind him, he continued, "I don't trust you."

**4**

* * *

**On** the ship, Liara banged her hands on the desk and closed her eyes for a second. _So close_, she thought, _I am so close._ Pushing the communication button again, she continued, "Doctor! Wait!" But before she could continue, Renala's voice cut through, "Shadow Broker! The Doctor! He's going into his ship!" And through the speakers, Liara heard what sounded like an energy pulse being fired from Renala's omintool. "No!" Liara shouted, worried that the pulse would incapacitate, even destroy, the small ship.

Then there was silence before Liara heard the whooshing and whirling sounds of the TARDIS.

"He's gone," Renala said quietly. "His ship was here the entire time, cloaked from my sensors."

Liara cursed loudly and placed her head in her hands. For a few minutes she remained quiet, her mind racing with ideas and plans and assumptions and questions. Slowly she reached for the comm button and pressed it, and through Renala's interface, she heard her orders loud and clear,

"Find the Doctor and bring him to me."

**5**

* * *

**Renala** nodded as she responded, "Yes, Shadow Broker." She touched her interface and broke contact. For a brief moment her eyes looked at the spot where the TARDIS had been hiding and she shook her head. "Right here, the whole time it was right here." She sighed in frustration and tried to clear her head of everything she had just witness. Her thoughts then turned to the rather large task that she had just been given.

"I am going to need some help," she said to no one.

Just then, a soothing voice came out from the shadows, "Well, of course you are." Renala turned and watched as an asari appeared before her. This asari was not someone Renala had seen before and she was surprised by that realization. The asari was dressed from head to toe in a faded, form-fitting one-piece black leather outfit, with the collar going all the way up to her neck but leaving a small opening at the throat. The cuffs and the collar were lined in silver and there was a single silver strand of fabric that ran down the middle of her body to her waist. Sitting at her waist was an ornate belt of silver that was attached to a shimmering skirt of metallic blue and silver cloth. On her head, the asari wore a headpiece of silver that covered her forehead and the sides of her face. Between her violet eyes was a deep blue stone that hung from the middle of the headpiece. It was nothing unlike Renala had seen an asari wear before. It certainly wasn't asari made.

Renala watched as the asari approached her, and even though her instincts told her to run, all she wanted to do was stay right where she was.

The asari crept closer to her, her black boots making a light _click_ as she walked. Speaking softly to Renala, the asari continued, "I can help you, you know." As she stood before Renala, the asari reached out and lightly touched Renala's face. "You want to help me, don't you?"

Renala nodded enthusiastically. All she wanted to do was help this asari. "Yes. I just want to help you."

The asari smiled beautifully and Renala's heart started to beat rapidly. Renala suddenly couldn't remember what had happened before the asari had shown up and frankly, she didn't care. This was truly turning out to be the best day of her life.

"Good," the asari said as she cupped Renala's face in her hands, "Today, I have chosen you to be my companion. We will find the Doctor together, you and I." Renala nodded slightly and mouthed the words "You and I."

Moving her face closer to Renala's, the asari smilled once more as her eyes turned the deepest black. Renala stiffened as the asari's hands clutched her face tightly, "I am the Matriarch," the asari said, "and it's time to embrace eternity."


	2. On the Trail

**Chapter 2: On the Trail**

**1**

* * *

The forest was dark and grey. The trees blew with a wind that he couldn't feel, and the shadowy figures he saw had no faces. He could hear voices, and these voices were from his past.

One voice in particular called out his name and he ran towards it. The silhouette was quick and darting between the trees. He could still hear all the other voices calling out his name, those of his father, his mother, Executer Pallin, Sidonis and the rest of his team on Omega, and as he turned to look at them, they withered and disappeared. Still, the loudest voice was the only one that he cared about and so he ran.

Finally, as the voices grew louder in a grand crescendo, the figure he had been chasing stopped and bent down with its back to him. Garrus slowed his pace and made quiet, careful steps towards the person. He knew who it was as he had had this dream before.

Slowly, Shepard turned around and looked at him. The face had no emotion other than defiance, and in her hand her dog tags shone with an eerie blue light. He couldn't say anything to her, as he had tried in dreams past. All he could do was step back and watch at her body was suddenly consumed in flames. Once gone, the dog tags dropped to his feet and as he bent down to pick them up…

…and the incoming message alarm sounded.

Garrus opened his eyes and turned to the console that was positioned next to his bed. Sitting up, he punched the button that would answer the call and to his surprise a familiar face was smiling at him.

"Garrus!" The Doctor shouted happily, "Good to see you. It's been a few months hasn't it?"

Garrus shook his head and responded in his normal serious tone, "More than a few months Doctor. Almost a year, it seems."

The Doctor looked shocked by the answer and looked around awkwardly, "Well, better late than never to talk to my good friend Garrus." Garrus nodded in agreement, as his thoughts drifted back to the dream. "Did I catch you at a bad time, Garrus?" The Doctor asked.

"No, Doctor, not at all. Just waking up, but it's good to hear from you. I hear you've been busy in the Terminus Systems again."

"Yes, yes. I've been learning about the ancient civilization of the Protheans. Very interesting race. I had the chance to speak with one of them. Well, more than one of them!" The Doctor said and Garrus didn't bother to ask how. "Time machine" was the only answer he needed.

"Is there something I can do for you Doctor?" Garrus asked. If he couldn't get the Doctor to focus on the reason for his call, he could be learning about the Protheans for a couple of hours.

"Ah yes, yes there is." The Doctor said as he leaned a little closer to the camera. "Tell me, what do you know about the Blue Suns?"

Garrus was quick to respond, as he knew all there was to know about this mercenary group. "Mercenary group, one of the largest next to the Blood Pack and Eclipse. I tangled with them more than a few times during my time with C-Sec and my venture into Omega. I thought those groups were keeping their distance from you?"

The Doctor nodded, "Yes, they were. But they are a little braver than I gave them credit for. I think they have a new leader and I need to know who it is." The Doctor trailed off and clenched his jaw. Garrus eyed him for a second before asking, "There's something else, isn't there Doctor?"

Looking at the screen with an intenseness that Garrus had not seen before, the Doctor reluctantly responded, "My sonic screwdriver. They stole it."

**2**

* * *

Garrus sat up quickly from his bed, his piercing blue eyes looking into the screen at the Doctor. "Stole? How did they do that?"

The Doctor smiled thinly, "Long story. Let's just say that I was tricked into trusting someone that I shouldn't have." Looking away from the screen, the Doctor continued, "Either way, they have my screwdriver. I don't know what they mean to do with it, but I have a few ideas. All of them with bad outcomes."

Garrus nodded, "I can only imagine what that tool can do even if I don't understand it. What do you need me to do?"

The Doctor looked back at the screen, "I need you to grab your friend and come with me."

"I see," Garrus said as he stood up from the bed, "Which friend did you have in mind?"

"I need the Shadow Broker." Garrus looked at the screen, a somewhat curious look crossing his face or, at least, that is what the Doctor thought. "Or, as you call her, Liara."

As he began to fix on his armor, Garrus responded, "Liara. Good. I can understand why you would need an information broker. Is there a lead you are looking to follow?"

The Doctor nodded, "I do, but I would rather speak about this in person. A moment please." The screen went black and Garrus continued to dress. Then he heard a whirling sound, as the wind within his apartment began to swirl. Stepping back, Garrus watched as the TARDIS materialized in front of him. Tightening up the last buckle on his armor, Garrus picked up his Mantis sniper rifle and accompanying Avenger assault rifle. Attaching them to the back of his armor, he walked up to the TARDIS door. Slowly, the door opened and he entered.

**3**

* * *

The walk up the ramp to the TARDIS control was slow, as Garrus looked around and took in the tremendous view. Even though he had been on the TARDIS before, the view was still amazing. A ship that was bigger on the inside. It was a wonder that Garrus would never get used to seeing.

The Doctor waited for Garrus at the TARDIS control module with a warm smile on his face. "Garrus!" he said as he opened up his arms wide, "Welcome back!" Approaching Garrus, the Doctor gave him a hug, or tried to, at least. Hugging turian armor was not as easy as the Doctor thought. Pulling himself away, the Doctor kept his hands on Garrus' shoulders, "It's good to see you," the Doctor said happily, "and I wish it was under better circumstances."

Nodding, Garrus responded, "Good to see you, Doctor. And it's all right. I'm glad you called me. Now," he said as he looked around, "where to?"

The Doctor let him go and went back to the console. Flipping a few switches, and the TARDIS once more began to whirl, the engines moving up and down, faster and faster. "We're going to Illium. We need Liara. Now."

Garrus nodded in agreement as he fixed his visor over his left eye, "Let's go."

**4**

* * *

Agent Thandrus walked quickly through the crowd. She had been stuck on Illium for the last four weeks, and yet she had not received any orders from the Shadow Broker. "Go to Illium and stay there until you are contacted" was the last communication she had received via her visor. She had been fine for the first two weeks of her stay, but now, her patience was growing thin.

_No matter_, she thought to herself as she weaved her way through the crowd of asari, krogan, volus, and salarian shop owners and customers, _the Matriarch has given me orders. I mean to see them through. _

Finding her way to the industrial district in Illium's lower levels, she approached a group of Blue Sun mercenaries. The leader of the band, a batarian, grunted in her direction before he spoke. "You the contact from the Matriarch?"

Agent Thandrus cocked her head to the side, sizing up this batarian and his friends. "I might be. Though I must say, you don't know the meaning of the word 'discretion.'"

The batarian regarded her briefly, "Look lady, I'm not paid to be discrete. I was told to meet with a contact matching your description and so here we are. What is it you need?"

Thandrus' eyes darted from the lead batarian to the other faces of vorcha, turian and batarian mercenaries. _Eight of them_, she thought to herself, _easy._

"I need information. I hear the Blue Suns acquired an item of unknown origin. I need that item."

The batarian and his grouped laughed, "We acquire a lot of items. You will need to be more specific."

Crossing her arms, Thandrus breathed in deeply, calming her annoyance, "The item I am looking for is a cylindrical tube about ten inches long. It has a black and white handle, gold shaft and a green tip."

The batarian eyed her and nodded, "Yeah, I think I know what you're talking about, but the Blue Suns don't have it anymore. We sold it to a collector."

Thandrus' eyes widened at the news, "You sold it? To whom? Where?"

One of the vorcha members responded, "We sold it. That's all you need to know."

Within a second Thandrus had her Carnifex out and pointed directly at the batarian leader, "I don't think my question was clear enough. Who did you sell it to?" As the mercenary members went to their weapons, Thandrus stopped them with a shake of her head and a _tsk _sound. "No, no I don't think so. You see, I figure I can incapacitate about four of you before any of you can fire off one shot. Now, which one of you brave souls are going to take a bullet for your friends?"

As she watched each of them lower their hands to their sides, she nodded in satisfaction and turned her eyes towards the batarian leader again, "You are really trying me today. I am going to ask one final time, and then we're going to have a bit of fun. Who did you sell it to?"

The batarian shook his head and answered, "Aria T'Loak."

**5**

* * *

"Doctor, let me contact Liara." Garrus said as the TARDIS landed with a thud in a back alley of Illium. "According to your story, you left on…strained…terms. It might be better if she hears a friendly voice first."

The Doctor nodded in agreement and made his way down the ramp to the TARDIS door. "Very well Garrus. Do what you need to do." And with that he opened the door and held it open for Garrus. Garrus made his way through and was greeted by the sounds of Illium's lower city.

"Couldn't land in a better spot? Perhaps a spot with a view?" Garrus said as he cleared the door and looked around. They were in the industrial sector and most of the workers had left for the day. The Doctor made his way through the door and locked it behind him. "This is a perfect spot? Look at it! The sounds of the machines and the workers going about their evening."

Garrus shook his head and held out his hand. The Doctor could see the orange glow of the ominitool light up as Garrus tried to establish contact with Liara. Upon finding the right channel, Garrus spoke, "Liara? Liara, is that you? It's Garrus."

Within a minute, Liara's voice could be heard and to the Doctor's surprise, it was not the voice of the Shadow Broker. "Garrus? Why are you calling me on this channel? Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine Liara, but I am on Illium and I have someone who wants to meet you." Garrus said as the Doctor approached the omnitool.

"Someone?" Liara asked, "Who?"

The Doctor responded quickly, "Hello, Shadow Broker. We meet again."

**6**

* * *

Liara sat back in her chair as she looked at both Garrus and the Doctor. "What an unbelievable story, Doctor," she said with wonderment in her voice. The Doctor had spent the greater part of an hour telling his story to her. Of course he had left out quite a bit.

The Doctor nodded and sat forward in his chair, his hands cupped together, "Yes, it is." He would have gone on, but he still didn't trust her. "Liara, we parted on bad terms the first time we met." Liara shifted uncomfortably in her chair, her embarrassment etched in her face. "But I am not here to talk about that. You did what you had to do and so did I. We can discuss all of that later, but I need your help now. I need to find my screwdriver."

Liara stood up from her chair and began to pace her office, "Why do you need my help? Why can't your TARDIS locate the screwdriver's signal? It can do that, right?"

Sitting back in his chair, the Doctor shook his head, "Being here, in this universe, is draining my TARDIS of rift energy at a high rate. I can't risk asking the Old Girl to locate the signal of the screwdriver in this place. Even if I could pinpoint the location there is no guarantee that she'll find it. No,_ I_ lost it, and I need to find it."

Garrus, who was standing in front of a window that overlooked Illium, turned to the Doctor, "Where were you when it was taken?"

The Doctor responded slowly, "I was on Ilos."

"Ilos?" Liara asked, surprised that anyone would go there. "What were the Blue Suns doing on Ilos?"

"The Blue Suns weren't on Ilos," the Doctor responded, "but someone who needed my help was." The Doctor shook his head, "That's beside the point. I was on Ilos when it was taken from me, and I know that it is no longer on Ilos." He stood up and looked at Liara, "That is why I need your help. You are the Shadow Broker. You deal with information."

Liara turned to look at Garrus, who only nodded, and then looked back to the Doctor. "I will help you Doctor. Though it is my hope," she said with all sincerity, "that if I do help you, that you will consider taking me with you."

The Doctor eyed her for a second before responding, "I will consider it."

**7**

* * *

"So, what did the batarian tell you?" the voice asked over the visor. Agent Thandrus had made her way back up to the commercial district and was reporting in. "He said the item was in the hands of Aria T'Loak. I don't know if I believe him or not, but it sounds plausible," she responded.

"Good," the voice said, "I need you to go to Omega and see what you can find. If it is in the hands of Aria, then we need to be careful. She could destroy the item on a whim."

"Yes, Matriarch," Thandrus responded as she blended in with the crowd, "But I can't leave until the Shadow Broker tells me."

"Then find a way." The asari said as communications were cut.

**8**

* * *

Liara tapped a finger on her console. She had been staring at the reports sent to her by her agents out in the various systems for the past three days. While she skimmed most of the reports, she read the ones coming in from the Terminus Systems in their entirety. Liara knew that the screwdriver would wind up there somehow. There was always a buyer in the Terminus Systems. _Omega_, she thought, _it has to be there. _

As Liara looked through her reports, the Doctor was doing his own research in the TARDIS. He needed to find a temporal rift. He had lost time while being in this new universe, but the TARDIS had not. He knew the Old Girl could only make a few more trips before it was completely drained. "Let's see," he said to no one in particular, "I first landed on Menae. The rift must be around there." He punched a few buttons on the console and called up the Inner Council Space galaxy map. Centering in on the Apien Crest cluster, he began a scan of the area.

"What did you say, Doctor?" Garrus asked as he came up the ramp. The turian had been assisting Liara in her research by reaching out to his contacts in Omega, the Far Rim, the Valhallan Threshold and the Perseus Veil. They had not been able to give him any information; however, his contact on Omega did give him some interesting news.

The Doctor shook his head, "Nothing. Just trying to find a rift. Very hard finding these rifts. You never know where they are or where they might go." He looked at Garrus, "You found something?"

Garrus shook his head, "Dead ends. No one has heard about the screwdriver. But I did hear something interesting coming out of Omega."

The Doctor pulled himself away from the map and made his way to Garrus. "Blue Suns?"

"Not this time. It's the Talons." The Doctor said nothing and allowed Garrus to continue. "The Talons were an upstart mercenary group when I was there, working in the shadows of the Blue Suns, the Blood Pack and the Eclipse. But things changed once the plague on Omega hit. The Talons took up some real estate and they have been calling some of the shots ever since. Apparently, they are in a war against both the Blue Suns and the Blood Pack. And apparently Aria is letting it all happen without intervening."

Liara's voice cut in through the comm channel before Garrus could continue, "Doctor, Garrus. I found something."

Rushing out of the TARDIS, the Doctor and Garrus made their way to Liara's console. "What? What did you find?" The Doctor asked.

Liara pointed to the screen, "Your screwdriver. It is on Omega. Aria has it."

**9**

* * *

Agent Thandrus was looking out the window of a bar when she got the call. "Agent Thandrus," the low, gruff voice of the Shadow Broker said. "You have been patient. Good. You have new orders."

Thandrus touched her earpiece and acknowledge the voice. "Shadow Broker. Where to?"

"You must go to Omega and seek out information about a certain object of great importance to me. I will be sending you a datapad with all the information you need."

A faint smile touched Thandrus' lips as she responded. "Yes, Shadow Broker. Is there anyone in particular that I should be speaking to?"

"No," the voice said. "Stay low and gather information. I need to know the location of the object. Rumor has it that Aria T'Loak has it. If she does, then I need to know where it's being held."

"Acknowledge, Shadow Broker." Thandrus said as she gathered her things. As she walked out of the bar she accessed her omnitool, "Matriarch, it's Thandrus. I'm going to Omega."

**10**

* * *

Liara looked at Garrus and the Doctor as she sat back in her chair. "If anyone can get information for us, it will be Agent Thandrus."

"Oh lovely Agent Thandrus!" The Doctor said with a genuine smile on his face. "Tracked me across the systems she did. Very thorough reporting." Turning to Garrus, the Doctor continued, "Well that's good. We have the Shadow Broker on the trail and information is being gathered. We need Tali."

Garrus adjusted his armor a bit, "Why, Doctor?"

"Because I need all the help I can get, Garrus. If Aria or anyone else discovers how the screwdriver works, then we will need to do everything in our power to stop them." The Doctor started to make his way back to the TARDIS.

Garrus started to follow him, but stopped in his tracks. "Doctor," he said quietly, "stop."

The Doctor stopped and turned to look at his turian companion, "What is it Garrus?"

"You haven't told us everything. What really happened? Why was it taken from you and why would anyone need to?" Liara made her way to them and stood by Garrus, awaiting the Doctor's answer.

The Doctor looked at them both and shook his head, "As I said, I trusted someone and I was deceived. She went through a lot of trouble to take the screwdriver away from me. But it's all my fault. I tried to impress her with my knowledge of this universe and my own. She had already seen the TARDIS and she had seen me use the screwdriver." Looking down, the Doctor continued, "She asked so many questions and wanted to know so much. Archaeologists," he said as looked at Liara, "always wanting to know so much." Liara nodded in agreement as the Doctor moved on, "And I fell right into her hands."

Straightening up the Doctor looked at Garrus and Liara for a brief second. "She knows what the screwdriver can do just by what I showed her, but she is a clever girl, she'll figure it out the rest."

Garrus looked at Liara before asking, "Figure what out, Doctor?"

"That the screwdriver can help her locate the TARDIS." The Doctor looked behind him at the Old Girl. "I have to stop her."

Liara took a step towards the Doctor, "Stop who Doctor? Who was she?"

The Doctor shook his head, "It's not important. The fact that Aria has it means that something went horribly wrong." He turned and began making his way to the TARDIS, "She didn't act alone. I need to know why she took it; I need to know who she was helping. If it wasn't the Blue Suns leader, then we're looking at something that goes beyond a simple heist."

Garrus and Liara had stayed in their spots as the Doctor turned and walked away. "Are you both coming?" the Doctor asked, and they quickly followed.

**11**

* * *

"Matriarch?" Thandrus asked through the communicator on her visor. She had arrived on Omega and was now sitting in Afterlife "gathering intel."

A few moments later, the Matriarch responded, "Thandrus. You have a question?"

"Yes, Matriarch," Thandrus replied, fully aware that she should not have bothered the Matriarch with her questions. "I have a question. It is something that I have been curious about since I arrived here."

"Ask." The Matriarch responded.

"Why do you need this _screwdriver_? Why is it so important to you?" Thandrus asked as she took a drink.

"The screwdriver will help me find what I seek." Came the cryptic response.

"And what is it that you seek?" Thandrus asked, her curiosity growing.

From behind her she heard the Matriarch's voice, "A way home."


	3. Recruitment

Chapter 3: Recruitment

**1**

* * *

_**40**__ meters to the closest exit. 80 meters to the platform. Two guards coming down from the stairs. _

The thief crouched low as she waited patiently for the slow moving guards to complete their patrol of the warehouse. She had been locked in that position for the last 20 minutes, but she didn't mind. She wasn't the best thief in sector because she rushed into things.

After another 10 minutes had passed, the guards turned a corner and were gone from her view. Springing to her feet, she activated her Archon Visor and the display lit up with a blueprint of the warehouse. She had spent months gathering data for this job and the blueprint provided her with information such as all possible exits, windows, and, of course, the location of the item she was hired to acquire.

Reaching up, she flipped a switched on her visor and the blueprint went away, leaving her to look at the warehouse through the red tinted visor. Coming out from behind the crates, she activated her tactical cloak and started making her way to the central platform. There she would find the object she needed, and perhaps a couple of datapads with useful information.

The thief froze in her tracks as she heard the guttural speech from a vorcha guard standing off to the left of the platform. Keeping her eyes on the target, she kept making her way forward. She knew that even if the vorcha heard her, he would do nothing to stop her. She was too quick for them.

One step in front of the other, she kept her eyes on the platform, but her ears were catching the sounds of everything and everyone around her. The guards she had seen earlier were now back, making their routine walk around the crates and machinery that lined the back wall of the rather large warehouse. She could hear the cars overhead whizzing past and the occasional siren of a police vehicle. Things were busy in the skies the Citadel, but down here in the Zakera Wards, it was just the thief and her target.

Within 15 minutes, the thief was at the platform and she paused briefly to survey the warehouse. The guards were gone once more and the vorcha she had spotted earlier was now in a back control room. She shook her head at the absolutely lack of care these guards showed for the cargo that was stored here. _They probably assumed that no one would make it to this point_, she thought as she hoisted herself up onto the platform.

The platform was a typical warehouse storage platform. It held a few crates, and in the center was a control panel that an operator could use to either raise or lower the platform and control the nearby crane. Next to the control panel were a couple of surveillance screens and a large safe. The screens showed the guards and outlying areas of the warehouse, but not much else. Raising her left hand, her omnitool came to life, but with her tactical cloak active, it would not be seen from the guards. Tapping a few buttons on the omnitool, the thief waved her hand over the safe and studied the data she received. She smiled softly as the data confirmed what she already knew, the safe had a complex locking mechanism and that it wouldn't be a challenge to open.

Crouching down, she placed her hands on the safe. The safe was the type that she was all too familiar with and she gave a slight nod of respect to the person who owned it. No one would have given this safe a second glance, but she knew better. She knew that the content of the safe were important, despite the reports she received.

Holding out her omnitool, she gave the tool time to work the locks on the safe. The program that she had developed for this heist had taken her many months and many trials, but she knew that this software would not fail her. She had notched many successful jobs just to test it out.

As the omnitool did its job, she looked around, mindful of the guards that could show up any minute. She began to worry slightly as the mental timer she had going on in her head reached the 5 minute mark. _Too long_, she thought to herself, _this should have been done two minutes ago._

At that moment, she heard an audible click as the safe's clamps released and the door flew open. Looking inside, she gasped in surprise, for there was nothing to be found in the safe.

"There's nothing in there, I'm afraid," said a woman's voice from behind the thief. Cursing under her breath, the thief turned around and stood up, as her tactical cloak deactivated.

In front of her were three batarian guards, two human guards and the vorcha guard she saw earlier. At point was a human female dressed in a nondescript black jumpsuit with her Carnifex hand cannon strapped to her side.

"Kasumi Goto," the woman said pleasantly, "thank you for coming. I have business to discuss with you."

**2**

* * *

**Kasumi** looked at the woman and then to the guards. Her eyes darted to the exit she was planning on taking. Her left hand twitched slightly as she thought about calling up her omnitool.

The woman took a few steps towards Kasumi, and held up her hands. "I apologize for the subterfuge Kasumi, but we had to make sure you would come. As I said, I have business to discuss with you, or rather, the Matriarch does."

Kasumi kept her eyes on the woman. _This one is certainly confident_, Kasumi thought to herself as she began to walk towards her. "What kind of business?" She ignored the mention of the Matriarch. Kasumi knew that should meet this Matriarch in time.

"The kind that you do best, Kasumi." The woman said as she approached Kasumi with her hand extended, "I'm Thandrus, an associate of the Matriarch. We have been impressed with your abilities and we want to hire you for a job."

Kasumi took her hand hesitantly, but shook it firmly. "I'm listening."

Thandrus dropped her hand and waved the rest of the guards away. "What do you know about the Doctor?"

Kasumi dropped Thandrus' hand and shook her head, "Enough to know that now I don't want the job."

Thandrus looked her head and smiled knowingly, "I figured you would say that. But we know you ran with him and that you went to Ilos together. He helped you and he trusted you."

Kasumi turned back to Thandrus and nodded, "Yes, and then I stole from him."

**3**

* * *

_2 Months Ago _

**Kasumi** Goto, one of the human heroes in the war against the Collectors and former squadmate of the famed Commander Shepard, watched the people below going about their day. Now that there wasn't a war to consume her time, she went back to the two things she enjoyed the most: thieving and watching. Of course, Kasumi only stole from the truly vile and greedy business people found on the Citadel, on Ilium and on Omega. Today, however, she was looking for someone. Someone she knew would be able to help her.

She had spent a greater part of a month on the Citadel watching and waiting. Her contacts had assured her that the man she sought would wind up back on the Citadel as he did every few months out of the year. Her patience was one of legend, so she each day she woke up and came to the maintenance areas above the Presidium to watch.

As her eyes darted from face to face, she also picked up on a few conversations. One conversation was about a deal that went bad in the warehouse district of the Zakera Wards, another was two businessmen talking about the new L6 implants that were being tested on human biotics, and once in a while Kasumi picked up on talk about a new player on Omega. All of this information she would store in her omnitool for later review.

As nighttime descended on the people of the Citadel, Kasumi sighed softly to herself. "Another day gone," she said to herself as she began to move away from the railing.

Then she heard him.

**4**

* * *

**The** Doctor had not been back to the Citadel in some time, but the TARDIS needed to charge up on rift energy and so a stop was in order. Trips to the past really consumed a lot of energy, but to the Doctor, these trips were absolutely worth it. His conversations with the Protheans of old were fascinating and to see how they uplifted many of the races he saw in the Citadel was an experience he wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. Especially not in his own universe.

As the Doctor walked the Presidium's lower corridors he greeted everyone happily. He nodded his head to an asari diplomat, a turian guard, a hanar shopkeeper. The list went on. These were the races that he had now become accustomed to and now that he knew their history, well, that added a little something more to them. Still, they were no match for his beloved humans, but these races were making quite a lasting impression.

As he approached the shops in the market, he looked out of the large windows that overlooked the towers of the Citadel. He never grew tired of the sight and as he watched the cars fly by, he was instantly filled with sadness. _You know that this cannot go on forever_, his inner voice of reason said sadly, _you will need to find a way back home. The last of the Time Lords cannot abandon Gallifrey._

_But you are not alone_, another voice said in the far distance, and the Doctor spun around just as Kasumi approached him. "Hello Doctor, I need your help," she said in quiet tones.

**5**

* * *

**The** human before the Doctor had identified herself as Kasumi Goto and she needed help. The Doctor was surprised that this particular woman had known so much about him and for a moment he thought that she was yet another Operative of the Shadow Broker. As she continued to speak his dismissed the idea. _No, this is not an agent of the Shadow Broker, this is an observer, an observer who desperately needs my help._

Kasumi stopped in the middle of her introductions, and the Doctor could see the shine in her eyes as she looked around from underneath her black hood. "Could we talk somewhere else? I feel that eyes are everywhere." The Doctor nodded and followed her to secluded corridor between the Markets and Chora's Den. Looking around once more, Kasumi continued to speak, "No one must see me speaking to you. Not that people know me, but you are unmistakable."

Kasumi then continued, "You see Doctor, I need to get to Ilos and I believe that you are the only one who can get me there."

The Doctor shook his head, "Ilos? What could you possibly need from there?"

"Something that my employer wants. A Prothean artifact of great value. I have been asked to get it for him, and he has mentioned your name." The Doctor was about to interrupt her before she held up a hand to stop him, "There's more. My employer has something of mine, and he will not give it back until I get him what he wants."

The Doctor leaned towards her, his voice dropping, "What did he take from you, Kasumi?"

"An old book. A gift from Commander Shepard." Kasumi said and the Doctor could only nod. He knew of Commander Shepard from the stories that Tali, Liara and Garrus shared with him. He knew how much she had meant to the people who served with her.

"I understand. I will help you, but you must be honest with me, Kasumi. Why would your employer mention my name?"

Kasumi looked at him and shrugged, "He seemed to think that you could get me past some of the security. Where I need to go is not any of the known ruins, so I am not sure what the security might be like. You have been to Ilos before," the Doctor started to deny the claim, but Kasumi shook her head, "There's no need to deny it Doctor. You have been to Ilos before, so you must know how to get into the most secure ruins."

The Doctor studied Kasumi for a second before replying, "Very well, let's go to Ilos." Spinning on his right heel he began the long walk back to where the TARDIS was stored.

**6**

* * *

**The** TARDIS was unlike anything Kasumi had ever seen and she had seen quite a lot in her time. After stepping into the TARDIS, Kasumi stepped right back out. Her hands touched the old wood and her steps measured out the length of the TARDIS base. After she was done inspecting the outside, she went right back in, and measured what the length of the outside of the TARDIS had been. Realizing that the interior was vastly larger than the exterior, she looked at the Doctor with all seriousness and exclaimed, "It's bigger on the inside." The Doctor, feigning disbelief, replied, "You don't say! Well, yes, I suppose you're right." Kasumi looked at the Doctor and then at the TARDIS console, and as she made her way up the ramp, she stopped and stared a bit more at her surroundings.

"I don't believe this place," she replied as her hands fell upon one of the many buttons on the console. "I have seen many places and I have seen things that I would have never thought possible, but this is incredible." She touched another knob on the console as the Doctor watched on, "How does this ship run? Is there an engine room? I don't feel any engines. Where do you sleep? How many rooms are there?" The Doctor held up his hands and did his best to answer her questions, "This _is_ the engine. I sleep anywhere. There are plenty of rooms."

Kasumi nodded absently and walked around the console. The Doctor couldn't see her eyes from underneath the hood but he knew full well that she was learning all that she could about the console. He wouldn't have been too terribly surprised if she started pressing all the right buttons and pulling down the right levers to get the TARDIS going, but she didn't do anything of that. _She's an observer_, he reminded himself.

"So if this is the engine," Kasumi began, "how do you get it to go?" The Doctor smiled and started his walk around the TARDIS console, hitting the levers and pressing the buttons and soon the TARDIS engine roared back to life as the single cylinder began to pump up and down. The sound of the TARDIS engine was loud, but the Doctor could still talk over it. "It's very simple," he said with a bit of pride in his voice, "you hit this switch, press this button, turn this knob." As he did so the TARDIS lurched up, and Kasumi and the Doctor were pulled down as the TARDIS disappeared from its hiding place.

**7**

* * *

**It** wasn't long before the TARDIS landed on the planet Ilos. The Doctor hit a couple more switches to steady the TARDIS and then motioned to the door. Kasumi looked at him briefly before she made her way quickly down the ramp. The Doctor followed closely behind and as she opened the door a blast of musty old air hit the Doctor and suddenly the memories of his first trip to Ilos came flooding back.

Kasumi set a foot on the ground of the ancient ruin and looked around. She knew that they were alone, but her instincts would never allow her to put her guard down. Holding out her left hand, her omintool activated and with a couple of keystrokes, she was looking at a map of the ruins. The Doctor was close behind her looking around at the old structures covered with moss and hanging vines. This was a place he had been to before, he realized, but back when the ruins were still inhabited. He could still see the Protheans going about their day as they moved from building to building. He remembered some of the talks he had with the various scholars and scientists he had met. Now this place was a tomb, one of the last places that had been used to try to save the Prothean race from the Reapers. The old Prothean VI Vigil would still be there, but inactive. It had no more stories to tell.

Kasumi clicked a button on the omnitool and pointed to a ruin to the south. "The ruin we want to go to is there." The Doctor followed her gaze and saw only a rock face. Turning back to her, he asked, "Are you sure?" Kasumi nodded and began to make her way in that direction, keeping her omnitool active. The Doctor looked around warily and followed her.

**8**

* * *

"I was told that you have been to many places and have met some of my friends," Kasumi said as they walked. The Doctor nodded briefly, but decided against responding. Kasumi had a way of talking that prohibited him from getting in a word. "I remember talking to Garrus while we were on the Normandy. He was also so serious. I was surprised when he and Commander Shepard got close. But then again, she was always adventurous. When I talked to him, it was mostly about the Normandy's weapon systems and how he needed to constantly calibrate them. I swear, I think he calibrated those weapons just so that he could tell people he was busy." The Doctor smiled as Kasumi continued, "And then there's Tali. Tali and I would talk once in a while but she did spend most of her time in the engineering room. She would just look at those engines as though they were speaking to her. It was a hard thing when she had to go back to the flotilla when they charged her with treason, but she is a strong one. They never got her down. It was sad about her father. He did what he thought was right. It all worked out though. Rannoch belongs to the quarians again and the geth have proven to be strong allies. I like it when a story has a happy ending."

Just as she was about to go on, she stopped and waved her omnitool around as she read the map. Looking at the Doctor she motioned towards a rock face that the Doctor had seen earlier. "Well, here it is!" Stepping forward, she put a gloved hand on the rock and began to push lightly as her fingers dug into the crevices and cracks. "There must be a way to open this door."

The Doctor looked at the rock face and nodded slowly. Reaching into his jacket he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and activated it. Holding the device out in front of him he began to scan the rock. Kasumi stopped what she was doing and watched him curiously. "What is that?" she asked.

"This?" The Doctor said as he threw the sonic screwdriver up and caught it deftly, "Is a sonic screwdriver. It's a very useful tool. Gets me out of a bind once in a while. Doesn't work on wood. Don't ask me why." He continued to scan the rock face and then he flipped his wrist, extending the screwdriver so he could read the data he retrieved from the scan. "Interesting. This ruin is one of the oldest buildings here. It even predates the Protheans!" He leaned into the rock and put his ear up against it. He listened for an echo as he activated the sonic screwdriver again. The pulsating sound was strange to Kasumi, but she said nothing. Instead she kept her eyes focused on the device.

After a few minutes, the Doctor crouched and placed his hands on the ground. He began to press the earth until something gave way and his hand pushed into the dirt. Stepping back, he watched as a small console rose up from the ground. The markings on the rock were unknown to him but there was something strangely familiar in the crude etchings. Shaking the feeling of familiarity off, he turned to Kasumi and smiled widely. "It seems that the key was in the ground. How exciting!" Turning back to the console, he touched it, hoping to find a switch or a button that he could press. "I think this is a console of some sort. There should be a way to activate it." Holding out his sonic screwdriver, he activated it and ran it along the length of the console. Within moments the console lit up with a soft green light. Kasumi watched as the Doctor put his hand on the console and pressed a random button. Suddenly the rock face before them began to shake as dirt and moss and hanging vines began to fall off what was now a door. The Doctor held up his sonic screwdriver and took a few steps back as he held up a hand behind him to protect Kasumi. Who knew what would be waiting for them when the door opened.

And to the Doctor's surprise, there was nothing but a small box on the ground.

Kasumi moved around him and knelt beside the box. The box was made out of light red stone. There were a few markings on it and those markings matched what was written on the console. The Doctor approached Kasumi and knelt beside her, "Is this what you were looking for?"

"Yes. Yes, I think it is," Kasumi said quickly. "You were right, Doctor, some of these ruins predate the Protheans. Unfortunately, no one really knows much about those who came before. Shepard once told me that she met an ancient race down in the depths of an unnamed ocean who were older than the Reapers themselves. I don't know if they are the same race who left these ruins here, but something tells me they aren't." Reaching down, she picked up the box and stood up slowly. The box, though made out of solid stone, was remarkably light. The Doctor stood up as Kasumi spoke to him, "Thank you, Doctor, for your help." And just as soon as she spoke the words, she activated her tactical cloak and disappeared from his view. On instinct the Doctor took a step back and activated his sonic screwdriver so that he could scan the area. "Kasumi? What are you doing?" he asked as he spun around.

"Please don't take this personal Doctor, but you have to understand," Kasumi said as the Doctor fixed his eyes on the strangely shifting air. "I need to get back what was taken from me. And you need to get out of here alive."

The Doctor continued to scan around him, but he had a good idea of where she stood. Dropping his right hand which held the sonic screwdriver, he spoke to her, hoping that he could get her to see reason, "I understand Kasumi and I can help you. Whatever you need me to do, I can help you!"

His eyes tried to follow the shift in his eyesight, but it was too late. Within seconds he found himself on his knees, holding his head as a deafening high pitched sound burst in his ears. The action caused him to drop his screwdriver and he had to watch helplessly as the screwdriver lifted up from the ground and disappeared into Kasumi's garments. Looking up, he winced from the pain that burst of sound had caused him. He couldn't see Kasumi, but he knew that was standing directly above him.

"I am sorry Doctor, but this will help me get back what was taken from me," Kasumi said as he passed out.

**9**

* * *

_Present Day _

**Kasumi** looked at the asari Matriarch curiously. It wasn't the asari's wardrobe that piqued Kasumi's interest, though she had to admit that the long flowing navy blue robe with the silver embroidery along the collar was something she hadn't really seen before. No, what caught her attention was how the Matriarch spoke. That soothing voice that could say the world was ending and Kasumi would find comfort in those words.

The Matriarch looked to Thandrus and motioned to Kasumi. "You say that she knows the Doctor?" she asked with a hint of doubt in her voice. She had been watching Kasumi carefully since she entered the vacant apartment. Perhaps someone lived there, as it was still mostly furnished, but most apartments in this part of Omega had long been abandoned.

Thandrus, who had been standing next to Kasumi, nodded in affirmation. "Yes Matriarch. They took a trip to Ilos. He helped her recover a small artifact, but this master thief," she said with some admiration in her voice, "stole something far more valuable than an old stone box."

The Matriarch approached Kasumi and focused her violet eyes on Kasumi's partially covered face. Silently the Matriarch let her gaze linger on Kasumi for a few seconds while Kasumi continued to stare at her, completely mesmerized by the asari's beauty. "Tell me, Kasumi," the kind Matriarch said quietly, "why did you take the Doctor's sonic screwdriver?"

Kasumi looked down shamefully. She was afraid that the Matriarch would be displeased with her, but she had to be honest. "I didn't want to, Matriarch," she began to explain. "It was such an interesting device that I knew my employer would have no choice but to give back what he took from me if I delivered the screwdriver to him." Looking back up, Kasumi continued, "And besides, it told me to take it."

The asari's eyes narrowed slightly, and then she looked over to Thandrus who just shrugged. Turning back to Kasumi, the asari asked, "It told you? What told you?"

"The screwdriver," Kasumi said calmly. "It told me to take it. It said the future was at stake and that it needed to leave the Doctor. It asked me to take it so that it could start its journey."

"Remarkable," the asari breathed as she stepped away from Kasumi. Thandrus walked towards the asari and asked quietly, "What does that mean, Matriarch?"

The Matriarch turned to Thandrus and smiled, "It means that the sonic screwdriver wants me to find it Thandrus. It knows I am here!" Thandrus could only nod as the Matriarch went back to Kasumi.

"Kasumi, you want to help me. Don't you?" The Matriarch asked earnestly.

Kasumi nodded emphatically, "Yes, I do. I want to help you. Is there something you need me to steal? I'm the best thief in the business, you know. I can get you whatever you what, Matriarch."

The Matriarch nodded as she reached out and took Kasumi gently by the shoulders. The warmth of her touch made Kasumi very happy. She knew that she was safe in the presence of the Matriarch.

"Good. That is good, Kasumi. What I need you to do is steal the sonic screwdriver from Aria T'Loak," the Matriarch said, "I need you to bring it back to me. You will do this for me."

Kasumi nodded slowly, "Aria T'Loak? Why would she have it? The Blue Suns took it from me. Why wouldn't it be with them?"

Thandrus cut in before the Matriarch could respond, "It seems your Blue Suns friends sold it to her for quite a profit. I hear it's sitting on shelf in her apartment. A mere paperweight now."

The Matriarch shook her head in disgust, but kept her eyes focused on Kasumi, "You see, Kasumi? The sonic screwdriver wanted you to bring it to me, but now it's trapped. You have to retrieve it. You must save it!"

Kasumi smiled as a thought crept into her mind, _I am the only one who can help her_. "Yes, Matriarch. I will take back what is rightfully yours," she said confidently.

**10**

* * *

**The** TARDIS landed with a resounding _thud_. Within a few minutes, the door opened and Garrus popped his head out, his M-15 Vindicator assault rifle at the ready. It had been a while since he last stepped foot on Omega, but he knew that the scum that inhabited these streets had not changed. They never would.

Coming out from the behind the door completely, Garrus motioned to the Doctor and to Liara who also had her M-77 Paladin heavy pistol drawn and held out before her. The Doctor watched them exit the TARDIS before he made his way out. While he appreciated their caution, the sight of their massive weapons gave him little comfort.

Breathing in the stale, almost toxic air, the Doctor looked to his companions and smiled sardonically, "Omega. No place like it."


	4. A Brief Respite

_**Chapter 4: A Brief Respite**_

**1**

* * *

**The** unnamed human fell to the ground as the Matriarch's eyes returned to their normal lavender hue. She hadn't caught his name, but she didn't especially care who he was. Stepping over him, she made her way out of the small, dark, isolated room and back into main alley that led to the shops.

"Embracing" always took so much out of her, and the pangs of regret were immediate, but she couldn't help herself. She was who she was and she wasn't going to deny herself.

The alleyway was mostly empty except for the occasional vorcha or batarian who hurriedly passed her. They knew better than to engage the asari Matriarch. Everyone knew better.

Operative Thandrus would be waiting for her at Afterlife, but the Matriarch was in no rush to meet her there. She was taking this brief moment of respite to gather her thoughts.

_If only I could just hear myself think_…she thought as she turned the corner into another alleyway.

The Matriarch paused for a moment as her right hand went up to hold the side of her head. Using her left hand to hold on to the wall, she steadied herself as a wave of disorientation washed over her. _It's becoming more and more frequent now_.

She closed her eyes as the voices flooded in.

_I am the one who can save them all. Find a way back and restore what was lost. I am the one who can save them all. Those who oppose me will find their end. Find a way back and restore what was lost. _

"Find a way back…and restore what was lost," The Matriarch whispered as she kept her eyes clenched shut. "Find a way back…"

_Those who oppose me will find their end. I will have my vengeance. I will restore what was lost. It is my legacy. **My legacy**. _

"My legacy…my legacy," the Matriarch whispered as the voices in her head grew louder in an unyielding crescendo.

_I AM THE ONE WHO CAN SAVE THEM ALL. FIND A WAY BACK AND RESTORE WHAT WAS LOST. I WILL HAVE MY VENGEANCE. IT IS MY LEGACY. IT IS MY LEGACY! _

"IT IS MY LEGACY!" the Matriarch screamed as a biotic shockwave exploded from her and smashed into the wall next to her, causing an eruption of mortar, stone, and concrete. The impact slammed her into the opposite wall where she slid down to the ground. Her body was racked with pain as she held her right arm gingerly. It was injured but not broken. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she couldn't get up - the voices were continuing their endless barrage.

Within minutes Operative Thandrus found the Matriarch and ran over to her. Kneeling down beside her, Thandrus asked quietly, "Matriarch! Are you okay?"

The Matriarch looked up to her faithful companion and shook her head slowly, "No. The voices…they continue." As the Matriarch leaned her head against the wall, she closed her eyes once more and just let the voices consume her.

Then the drumming came.

**2**

* * *

**_You_**_ can't remain here, you know. You have to go back. The memory of Gallifrey cannot die. The last of the Time Lords cannot abandon Gallifrey. _

The Doctor was lost in his thoughts. He had been in this new universe for two years and the adventures he had been on were unlike any he had experienced before. The races here were new and exciting, and they came with their own unique histories. They had seen war and peace, they had lost and won, they had persevered against powerful enemies, and they endured. His growing appreciation for these races was making it more difficult for him to say goodbye.

The Doctor stared at the TARDIS console as he began to think about all he had seen and done in his 1000 plus years. He reflected on his major regrets and his major triumphs. He had done his best to do some good in the world, and to protect the humans as best he could. _His_ humans.

_But this place needs me_, he thought, _I would not have been brought here unless I was needed. _

"You told me that once, Old Girl," he said to the console with a sad smile. "You told me that you would take me to places where I needed to be. So here I am. I can't go back. I am not done here yet."

Still, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that his time here was coming to an abrupt end.

**3**

* * *

**"Operative** Thandrus, come in," Liara said as she tried to reach Thandrus via her Archon visor. It had been days since she last heard from Thandrus and Liara was growing concerned. Did Thandrus get caught? Was she alive? If she was captured, what secrets might she be giving?

"Operative Thandrus, report," Liara said again, this time her patience was giving way to anger. Operatives of the Shadow Broker knew better than to keep the Shadow Broker waiting.

After a few minutes, she heard movement over the comm channel and soon Thandrus' voice was heard loud and clear, "Shadow Broker, my apologies. I have been unable to respond to your calls due to my present location."

"Report, Thandrus," Liara said, unsure of whether or not she believed that story.

"Yes, Shadow Broker. I have tracked the item to a highly secured apartment building near Afterlife. I did a some digging and the apartment is owned by Aria. It appears that she rents it out to those she considers her more trusted employees."

"Very well," Liara said. "Is the building well-guarded? Is there any way that we can get into it?"

"I have been looking, but there is no clear way into the building. I have access to the blueprints and it looks like there might be a ventilation shaft that runs close to the entrance of the apartment. Whether or not the shaft extends over the apartment is information that has been removed from the records." Thandrus explained.

"Of course," Liara said in her best attempt to hide her frustration, "Aria would not want anyone to know of any structural weaknesses." Tapping her fingers on the comm console, Liara tried to figure out a solution to this problem. "Thandrus," she began, "who is currently renting that apartment?"

There was a long pause before Thandrus spoke, "I don't know, Shadow Broker."

Liara tilted her head in confusion, it wasn't like Thandrus to not know such basic information, "Then I suggest you look into that, Thandrus, and get back to me as soon as you can."

There was another pause then, "Yes, of course. Thandrus out."

Letting go of the comm button, Liara straightened up and crossed her arms. _Something's not right_, she thought, _Thandrus would never forget to research such information_.

Liara pressed another button on the console, "Operative Silras, come in."

"Yes, Shadow Broker," the salarian operative said almost immediately.

"I have a new assignment for you. I need you to track the movements of a human located on Omega." Liara bowed her head in thought, _please prove me wrong_.

"Yes, Shadow Broker, could I get a description of the target?"

_Please prove me wrong._ "Human female…"

**4**

* * *

**The** view from the apartment window was incredible. Granted, Omega when viewed from behind a sound-proof window would always look incredible. If the window was open, one could hear the deafening sounds of the shuttles flying by, the everyday traffic down in the lower levels and the ever-present police sirens. This quiet version of Omega was truly the preferable one.

Garrus rested his arm on the window as he looked out into the city. He knew what was really going on down there. He knew that the weak was still being overpowered by the strong, that the gangs were still extorting money from law-abiding shopkeepers, and that innocents were still falling prey to the heartless.

_My good work,_ Garrus scoffed at the idea, _what did it do? Sure, I helped people, but I could have done so much more. You would think that a victory against the Reapers would bring some sanity back into the world, but it couldn't have. A fool's hope, I suppose. _

"You would have thought that the sacrifices we made to save the universe would have had a lasting effect," he said to the city below him. Garrus could have continued on that train of thought, but he knew that it would ultimately lead him to thoughts of Shepard. It was something he certainly didn't want to deal with at the moment.

Instead, he thought about the Doctor and the mission they were on. Garrus was still very wary of the Doctor. Yes, the Doctor had helped Garrus on Menae, and yes the Doctor had helped his people on Palaven, and yes, the Doctor was now one of the Primarch's most trusted humans. _But where did he come from?_ Garrus thought. _You just don't appear one day and suddenly become a legend in the turian history books!_

Garrus knew that he would have time to figure that out, but like any good puzzle, it was best that he came back to it instead of trying to solve it in one sitting. So Garrus' thoughts moved to the mission and the standstill they were in. He knew that Liara had sent an operative to Omega, but she hadn't said much about the information she was receiving from the operative.

"Something must be wrong," Garrus said. "Operatives of the Shadow Broker are thorough and relentless. To not have any helpful information at this point after being here two weeks means…"

From behind him Liara answered, "It means that one of my Operatives may very well be a traitor."


	5. Revelations

_**Chapter 5: Revelations**_

**1**

* * *

**Operative ** Thandrus, agent of the Shadow Broker and companion to the Matriarch, was concerned. It had been two weeks since she last spoke to the Shadow Broker, and it had been two weeks since she failed to answer a question.

"And who does the apartment belong to?" the Shadow Broker had asked her. A very simple, routine question. And when she admitted that she didn't know, she knew she aroused suspicion in the Shadow Broker. Thandrus knew she should have prepared better.

_And this is why I am being followed,_ Thandrus thought and she walked through the busy alleyways of the Omega markets. She knew that whoever the Shadow Broker had sent to track her had already reported her whereabouts for the past week or so down to the very last details. _Probably included how I sleep on one side of the bed and only use one pillow at night_, she thought with a wry smile. Operatives were masters at their craft.

Still, she enjoyed having this other Operative following her. It allowed her to provide a distraction for the Matriarch. Not once during this time did she approach the Matriarch or contact her through normal channels. Instead Thandrus engaged in very low tech methods of communication. A simple note drop here, a nod to a vendor there, an obscure hand gesture to a security camera. Thandrus knew that the Matriarch would be watching. The Matriarch had eyes everywhere.

Thandrus was only a few blocks away from her apartment, a feeling of accomplishment washing over her over a day well done. _Watch me all you want, Operative_, Thandrus thought, _you won't get any more information than you have already gathered. I will not betray the Matriarch to the Broker._

One more corner turned and Thandrus stopped dead in her tracks. Her elation turned into surprised as her eyes fell upon a turian leaning up against the alley wall about two hundred feet from her. It wasn't normal to see a turian down in this apartment section; they usually kept to the more "alien-friendly" areas of Omega. Still, she shrugged it off and made her way towards the turian, expecting to pass him without a single glance.

The turian, she noticed, was very relaxed in his stance. His back resting up against the alley wall, the dim lights shadowing most of his features, but her eyes caught the subtle glow of an eyepiece secured firmly on his avian head. As she continued her walk, she quickened her pace slightly, her gut starting to sound the alarm. _Watch him._

As she approached the turian, she saw his head turn towards her and she could see that his eyepiece was part of a modified Kuwashii visor. In this dimly lit alleyway the eyepiece gave the turian's face a bluish hue and enhanced the scars that ran along the left side of his face. Passing him by, she felt his eyes upon her, and it was that unwavering glare that made her stop and turn.

"Do you need something, turian?" she asked flatly.

The turian pushed himself off from the wall and spoke to her in low voice, "No, I don't think there is anything that you could give me, human. But to my colleague, I think so."

Thandrus quickly drew her Carnifex hand cannon and pointed it at the turian's head. Quick steps back were taken to make some distance between them. "If you think you're going to lay three fingers on me, turian, you're in for a surprise."

Anticipating her reaction, the turian had already drawn his modified Avenger assault rifle and had it aimed at her torso, "Believe me, if I wanted to fight you, you would already be down."

Thandrus smirked at the turian's confidence while the turian kept his icy blue eyes locked on her. Suddenly there was a piercing sound and her Carnifex was blown from her hand, the shock rippled through her arm and she fell to a knee. The turian took one step towards her while keeping his assault rifle fixed on her.

"I think you can stand down Archangel," a slightly muffled male salarian voice said from the shadows, "The Shadow Broker doesn't want this human harmed. The Shadow Broker only requires that she be captured."

Garrus lowered his assault rifle and looked at the salarian with feigned disappointed, "A shame," he said, "I would have preferred a long drawn out fight."

The helmeted salarian appeared from a doorway where he had positioned himself, and nodded to Garrus, "Yes, well, I don't think the Shadow Broker would appreciate any harm to coming to a person who could give us information."

Thandrus got up slowly and narrowed her gaze at the turian, "Archangel. You're supposed to be dead."

Garrus shrugged slightly, "Your sources are unreliable."

Thandrus smirked and looked to the salarian, "Now what?"

The salarian looked at Thandrus and then gestured to Garrus, "I have done my part. You will go with Archangel and he will take you to the Shadow Broker." Holding out his hand, the salarian handed an instrument over to Garrus, "Here. Tell your tinkerer that I have never had a tool like that before. Very useful in non-lethal situations. What did he call it?"

"A sonic pen," Garrus said without a hint of amusement, "and I will let him know."

**2**

* * *

**The** room in which Operative Thandrus sat was probably one of the nicest living quarters she had seen in some time. The large windows that overlooked Omega allowed plenty of light to come into the room, but rather than being overwhelming it had a very calming effect. The chair that she sat in was well cushioned, and the décor was simple, yet stylish.

Garrus watched Thandrus from behind the bar. He had holstered his assault rifle shortly after Operative Silras had released her into Garrus' custody. _She knew she had been bested_, he thought as he poured himself another glass of a cloudy, pink liquid. _Or, she has some things to say. I would rather go with the first option._

Thandrus looked over to Garrus and then turned back to the human male standing before her. Even though she knew him, his stature still impressed her. _Especially with that red bow around his neck. _She could never forget that.

The Doctor followed Thandrus' gaze before he looked back at her. It was strange to him, seeing her sitting there, knowing that she had once tracked him for the Shadow Broker and now she had turned traitor. Had things been different he would have started up a conversation with her, asking her questions about her well-being or the current state of the weather. He would have said something to amuse her or spouted out trivial information to show off his vast intellect, but unfortunately the seriousness of this situation had left him mirthless and with very little patience.

The screen positioned above the Doctor's head showed a large, shadowy figure. Liara had positioned herself in a different room, and was about to question Thandrus. The voice that came from the screen was not her own, but rather the deep, distorted voice of the Shadow Broker.

"Operative Thandrus, you have been busy."

Thandrus nodded and shifted in her chair a bit. Even though the chair was comfortable, the restraints that tied her hands were not.

"I would deny my activities, but I cannot." Thandrus admitted. There was no point in lying to the galaxy's best information broker.

"Tell me, when did you stop being an Operative?"

Thandrus felt the eyes of the two males in the room, but she kept her eyes on the screen. "It's a long story, Shadow Broker. Are you sure you have time to hear it?"

"I have all the time in the world, Thandrus. Speak."

Thandrus cleared her throat and began, "It's your fault, you know."

"How so?"

Thandrus shook her head, "Not you." Her eyes then darted to the Doctor, "Yours."

The Doctor's face was one of disbelief, "Me? What did I do?"

"If the Shadow Broker hadn't sent me to track you, I would have never met my current employer. But she wanted to know more about you. She wanted to know what I knew."

The Shadow Broker voice broke in, "Who? Who is your current employer?"

Thandrus bit her lip hard. _I can't betray her. I will not betray the Matriarch. If I do, I will never feel her embrace again._

"I cannot tell you," she said as she looked down to the ground.

"Not good enough, Thandrus!" the Shadow Broker said in raised tones. "You betrayed my trust and you compromised your position. You gave away secrets and sold information. You owe me an explanation and a name."

"I cannot tell you," Thandrus said again.

"Than…!" The Shadow Broker began as the screen above was shut off. Thandrus looked up quickly to the Doctor. The Doctor motioned to Garrus who had just put down the remote that shut off the screen. Garrus nodded before turning and walking away from them.

"Thandrus," The Doctor began as he knelt down in front of her. "I know you're struggling. I know you're reluctant to give us the name of your employer. But I need your help right now."

Thandrus squirmed under the intense blue eyes of the Doctor. She knew that if she made eye contact with him, that she would start telling him everything she knew. "I can't…Doctor…" she stammered.

The Doctor smiled gently and put a hand on her face, cupping it, "Of course you can." Dropping his hand, he placed it on her bounded hands. "Something is going on here and you have vital information."

**3**

* * *

**Garrus** had gone to a back room where Liara waited with a clenched jaw. As he closed the door to the room, Liara approached him angrily, "What was that Garrus? I was questioning Thandrus!"

Garrus raised his hands in an effort to calm her down, "Liara. You need to trust the Doctor."

Liara shook her head in disgust and turned away from him. "She betrayed me, Garrus. She knows so much. I had given her everything and this is how I am repaid?"

Garrus lowered his hands and approached her, "Liara. I know. But the Doctor needs our help and he will handle this in his own way."

Liara spun around and looked at Garrus, "You have placed a lot of faith in the Doctor. Perhaps too much."

**4**

* * *

**Thandrus** swallowed hard and repeated, "I won't tell you anything Doctor, so you will have to let me go. I will not betray my employer. I cannot. I will not."

The Doctor sighed and stood up. Running a hand through his hair, he turned away from her to give himself time to think. His mind raced as he tried to come up a plan that would allow him to get the information he needed, without having to resort to extreme measures.

As a hand ran over his face, he decided it was time to try his questioning again. Turning back to Thandrus, he began, "Tell me Operative Thandrus. Why is it so important that you not betray your employer? What does this person have on you that is so important that you must protect them?"

"My employer has nothing on me, Doctor," Thandrus said reluctantly. "I serve my employer willingly."

The Doctor clasped his hands and asked another question, "See? That right there. You serve your employer willingly. An Operative of the Shadow Broker willing to 'serve' someone else? I don't think you would just jump ship to serve another. No, I think this person has something, or have given you something in return for your unwavering loyalty. Am I right?"

Thandrus looked at the Doctor straight in the eye, "My employer has given me everything."

At that moment Liara walked out into the room with Garrus in tow. Thandrus looked at Liara and then quickly turned away. Being this far from the Matriarch made seeing another asari painful. Liara's eyes darted over to the Doctor before falling back on Thandrus.

"Liara?" The Doctor asked, as Liara rounded Thandrus and stood right in front of her, her lavender eyes focused on the woman.

"Thandrus," Liara said, "your employer is another asari, isn't it?"

Thandrus closed her eyes and shook her head quickly. "No…no…I will not betray my employer."

The Doctor reached out to lay a hand on Thandrus, but Liara stopped him. "Don't Doctor. We need answers."

The Doctor stepped back, giving Liara some space. "Who is your employer?" Liara pressed.

Shaking her head, Thandrus writhed in her seat, eager to leave and get back to the Matriarch. "I need to get back to her…" Thandrus said fervently, "I need to get back to her. She needs me. I am her companion. She trusts me. _Only me_."

The Doctor cocked his head at the mention of the word 'companion' while Liara eyes widened as she took a step back. "Garrus. Doesn't this behavior seem a bit familiar to you?"

Garrus walked over to Liara and stood behind her as he watched Thandrus and her unintelligible rambling. "Red sand withdrawals?"

Liara nodded once, "Yes, but there is something more. It's not just red sand, it's something much more."

Thandrus' face began to glisten from the sweat that poured down her face. All the while she spoke, "She needs me. Don't you see? She chose me! She chose me to be with her but I am here. I need to get back to her. She's alone." Her eyes started to move from person to person as she pleaded with them. "Please! You have to let me go. She is going to be so lonely. I can't leave her like this!"

Liara then moved within an inch of Thandrus' face "TELL ME WHO YOUR EMPLOYER IS!" she yelled as her eyes burned with a certain loathing.

Thandrus tried to jump in her chair, but the bindings kept her in place. "I need to get back to her!" she cried, "Please!" she turned and looked to the Doctor, "Doctor, please help me. I need to get back to her."

The Doctor took one step forward, but Liara held him back with an outstretched arm, "The Doctor cannot help you Thandrus. You are going to tell me WHO YOU ARE WORKING FOR!"

With a pitiful cry Thandrus slumped in her chair and in a barely audible voice she said, "The Matriarch."

**5**

* * *

**The** Doctor and Liara took a step back as Garrus continued to watch Thandrus with an expressionless gaze. Liara turned to the Doctor and could only shrug her shoulders, "The Matriarch?"

The Doctor shook his head as he watched Thandrus slump even further in her chair, the first wave of red sand withdrawals having done their worse. "I have no idea. Garrus?"

Garrus shook his head, "Clearly an asari, but Thandrus said it as though it was both a name and a title."

Looking up weakly, Thandrus said quietly, "It is a name you should know. You should be envious of me for she has accepted me. She has embraced me, and I am hers. Forever."

At that moment, Liara held her head with the palm of her hand. "How could I be so blind!" she exclaimed. "Of course!"

Turning to her friends, she shook her head at the revelation, "The Matriarch is an Ardat-Yakshi."

**6**

* * *

**Thandrus** slept. Closing the door to the bedroom, Garrus made his way back to his friends who were in deep conversation about what had happened.

"The red sand usage was a surprise," Liara was saying. "An Ardat-Yakshi has the ability to control the mind of whomever they choose. If this Matriarch did embrace Thandrus, then Thandrus is lucky to be alive. Perhaps the Matriarchs' condition is not as severe as Samara's daughters."

"I wouldn't be so sure Liara," Garrus said as he approached them. "I've been following reports of humans who have been found all over Omega, their causes of death unknown. An explanation could be that they had been embraced by the Matriarch. If that's the case then she is just as bad as Morinth."

Liara shook her head, "If this Matriarch is as bad as Morinth was, then she wouldn't have been able to control herself. Maybe the Matriarch is much more powerful than we could imagine. Her control over her condition has so many implications."

"But none of those can explain what she wants," the Doctor said as he looked out the window. His eyes searched the horizon for an answer, but he saw none. "Thandrus was tracking me, and she learned about who I am." Turning around he looked at Liara, "Thandrus knew I was a Time Lord, she heard about the TARDIS, and about my screwdriver. In her head she contained all the important bits of information one could have about me. Thandrus said that the Matriarch wanted to know what she knew. The Matriarch wanted to know about me."

Liara fell back into a chair and rubbed her temple with her fingers. "If the Matriarch knew about Thandrus' assignment, then my base of operations has been compromised. How could the Matriarch have possibly known?"

"One can only assume that this Matriarch has just as many eyes and ears as you do Liara," Garrus responded.

Leaning forward, Liara cupped her hands. "Then what do we do?"

"You need to stop the Matriarch," a soft voice said from behind them. Garrus, Liara and the Doctor all turned to look at the weakened frame of Operative Thandrus.

"Renala, you need to rest," the Doctor said quickly as he made his way to her. Thandrus shook her head and leaned up against the wall. Her face was deathly pale and her eyes were red and puffy. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "The Matriarch means to keep her legacy alive."

"What do you mean? What legacy?" Liara asked as she stood up.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, the Doctor urged her to go on, "What do you know about her, Renala?"

"She is an Ardat-Yakshi," Thandrus confirmed. "But she is not like one I have ever heard of before. When she embraces she kills, but she is able to spare those she finds useful while still becoming stronger." Looking at the Doctor, she reached out and placed a hand on his arm, "Doctor, I wanted to help her. I would have done anything for her. She wanted to know about you and I told her everything."

The Doctor placed a hand on hers, "It is okay, Renala. I know."

Thandrus shook her head quickly, "No, no it's not okay. I told her about who you were. I told her about your ship, and about your screwdriver. I told her that I thought you were a time-traveler." Her eyes darted to Liara and Garrus as though she had said something that the other did not know.

"It's okay," the Doctor assured her, "they know."

Nodding once, Thandrus continued, "But she already knew Doctor. She knew exactly who you were."

The Doctor's face was one of shock, "But how?"

"I don't know," Thandrus swallowed, her throat parched. "She said she needed to get your screwdriver. She knew that Kasumi Goto stole it and that Aria T'Loak has it. She made me track Kasumi, and I did. I followed Kasumi to a warehouse down in the lower markets and brought her to the Matriarch. Kasumi is looking for the screwdriver now."

The Doctor pulled away from Thandrus and looked over to Liara and Garrus, "If Kasumi is looking for it, I think it's safe to say that she will find it. We don't have much time."

Garrus nodded in agreement, "What are the chances that she has already found it?"

The Doctor shook his head in response, "She hasn't. If she had, I would know it."

Thandrus moved away from the wall, "Doctor."

Turning around, the Doctor asked, "What it is?"

"The drumming," Thandrus said as she placed a hand on her head, "why won't it stop?"

The Doctor's eyes widened as he quickly approached her. Cupping her face in both of his hands, he asked urgently, "What do you mean?"

"The drumming. The drumming that's in her head. The drumming that I can hear now. She would talk about it all the time. Sometimes she would just lay there motionless while the drumming overwhelmed her."

The Doctor searched her eyes, and quietly and slowly he asked, "What does the drumming sound like?"

Reaching up, Thandrus placed her hand on the wall and tapped four times.


	6. Reunion

_**Chapter 6: Reunion**_

**1**

* * *

**Four** beats. As Renala's hand dropped from the wall, the Doctor turned to his companions, but said nothing. Instead, he walked away from them and made his way to the entrance of the apartment.

Liara turned quickly to Garrus, who could only shake his head, showing his confusion. Liara followed the Doctor, calling out to him as she went.

"Doctor!" she said as he approached the door, "Where are you going?"

The Doctor stopped in his tracks and hung his head. He had no idea where he was going, but he knew he had to go somewhere. _Anywhere_.

"Liara," he began, his mind racing with thoughts of what should happen, what could happen, and what would happen. "I don't expect you or Garrus to understand, but you have to trust me."

Liara shook her head in disbelief, "Trust you? How can I trust you if I don't know what you're doing? Thandrus, what she did, with the four taps. What does it mean?"

The Doctor clenched his eyes, his frustration growing with every second that he remained in the apartment. Slamming his right fist into his left palm, he turned and faced Liara.

"The four beats. The drumming. It's the Master. The Master is here. The Master_ is_ the Matriarch. And she wants MY TARDIS and she will use my screwdriver to get to it. I have to stop her, Liara, or she will go back to my universe and change everything! She will destroy everything that I have worked so hard to protect. She will have beaten ME and I cannot let that happen!" The Doctor said angrily, his face red with the exertion of trying to keep his temper under control.

Renala approached them with Garrus in tow. Her face was visibly pale as though the drumming was still pounding inside her head. "She never made any mention about another universe," Renala said as she rubbed her temples with her index fingers. "She only spoke about protecting her legacy. She said she wanted a way back home. I never knew what she meant."

The Doctor looked at her with a clenched jaw, "Her legacy?" he muttered, "Of course, the Master and his legacy. His power. Her. Her power…" He looked to Garrus and Liara, "She shouldn't even be here. But she is. And how the Master regenerated into an asari…I don't know," he said softly. "Too many questions. Too many unknowns." He turned away and wrung his hands, "I need to find her. I need to stop her."

His companions casted uneasy glances at each other. Their concern would not be for the mission itself. Garrus and Liara had faced Saren, the geth, the Collectors and the Reapers. Liara had faced the Shadow Broker and had fought a hard battle to recover the body of Commander Shepard. Garrus had taken on the three most powerful gangs in the Terminus Systems. Even Renala had faced her fair share of impossible odds. No, they weren't concerned about the mission. They were worried about the consequences that would befall Omega due to the fury of this Time Lord.

Renala spoke slowly, "It will be easy to find her. She moves through different locations every two nights but her locations were planned out before we arrived on Omega. I know where she is supposed to be tonight. The obstacle we face will be getting to her without tipping off her guards. If they get involved, I don't know what will happen. She has enough at her disposal that it would make things very difficult for us if we took her head on. We need the element of surprise."

Garrus nodded his head in agreement, "I have an idea."

**2**

* * *

**Kasumi** made her way through an abandoned alleyway that would lead her to a dilapidated apartment tower. At first glance this building looked long deserted and to anyone who thought that, they would be right. But Kasumi knew better. She knew that this was one of the many towers that Aria T'Loak owned and it served as a safe house for her people. As Kasumi came closer to the entrance, she noticed the markings on the side of the building, mere scribbles to an untrained eye, but if her sources were correct, these symbols identified the type of building. And to Kasumi, these particular symbols did label this tower as a residential tower to some of Aria's more trusted allies.

At her side the human male grunted disapprovingly as his eyes fell on the building. He had his doubts about the purpose of the building, as he expressed throughout their trip through the lower markets, industrial warehouses and finally through this alley. Kasumi shook her head as she looked over to the salarian who accompanied them. The salarian nodded in affirmation once he had a better look at the symbols. Kasumi quicken her pace.

As they drew closer to the building, a couple of dark figures came out from behind a large stack of crates. They seemed little more than vagrants, but the sound of an assault rifle being loaded promptly changed that perception.

The human and the salarian rushed off to the side and took cover behind a few crates and a four foot rock wall as Kasumi activated her cloaking device. Within two steps, Kasumi had her omnitool activated while the two guards were raising their assault rifles and setting to aim. With a few quick side steps, Kasumi was on the guards, her omnitool setting off an electric pulse that shocked the first human guard as her right forearm connected with his chest, knocking the wind out of him. While the initial shock stunned him, the additional strike brought him down. The second guard, a batarian, blinked his four eyes in confusion as he saw his partner fall down from an unseen force. Raising his assault rifle, he was about to pull the trigger before his rifle was pulled from his grasp. Surprise was the last emotion he felt as the butt of the rifle connected with his face. As he lost consciousness and crumbled down to the ground, Kasumi was already walking over him, a warm feeling of satisfaction washing over her. Stopping, she looked behind her towards her salarian and human companions as her cloak deactivated. Slowly they came out from where they had been taking cover with their assault rifles at the ready. Kasumi nodded approvingly, the last thing they needed was to draw unwanted attention.

Motioning to the two unconscious guards, Kasumi made it clear what she wanted her team to do. Within a few minutes the old guards were dumped back behind the crates and two, new guards stood around a makeshift fire, warming their hands and keeping their faces hidden. They would be Kasumi's eyes and ears when she started to make her way up the tower floors.

Kasumi's plan had been simple: remove the guards, put the Matriarch's men in place, go in through the lobby, go up the elevator, enter the right apartment, take the sonic screwdriver, come back down and get out of the area before Aria's gang realized what happened. So far her plan was working, and as the elevator doors opened to the twentieth floor, Kasumi braced herself for whatever she might encountered.

And to her relief, the floor was empty.

Activating her cloak and her omnitool once more, Kasumi made her way through the run-down hallway. Part of her wondered if perhaps she really had entered the wrong apartment tower but Peldok, the salarian, would never make such an error.

With her omnitool out, Kasumi looked at the old building's blueprints and with each apartment she past, she strained her ears trying to catch any sound of movement. Upon hearing nothing, Kasumi began to think she was completely alone.

As she rounded the corner, her omnitool began to blink, identifying the apartment she needed to enter. As she approached the door, she closed the map of the building and activated her lock picking suite. Holding her hand out, she waited for the suite to do its work as it first scanned the door for any security software. A green light on her omnitool indicated that the door was safe to open and within seconds the door clicked, allowing her entrance.

The apartment was one of the more lavish apartments she had ever laid eyes on. Kasumi looked around and saw items and artifacts that on any other day would have been a goldmine to her. On one wall she saw paintings from some of the more famous artists from Earth, Thessia, and Kahje. On a shelf she saw sculptures from Tuchanka, Sur'Kesh and Palaven. There were old weapons, old tech and other ornate objects that had no known purpose. Kasumi was in awe at what she saw, and a part of her was saddened that she would not be able to spend more time in this place.

Walking around this mini-museum, her eyes soon fell upon a simple glass case.

And within that case, she saw the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

Kasumi approached the case and held out her omnitool. The omnitool produced composite readings of the glass case and as she thought, the case was made from a tempered glass that would instantly react the second someone touched it or breathed on it. How it would react was a mystery to her. It could shock her, render her unconscious, paralyze her, or worse, kill her. She didn't care for any of those possibilities. There was one thing she knew for certain: it would sound the alarm. Kasumi would get caught and Aria would undoubtedly be quick to punish her.

As she was thinking about her options, a voice came through her visor. It was Peldok.

"Kasumi," the salarian whispered, "there is a squad of about fifteen vorcha, turians, batarians with at least two asari commandos heading your way. They know you're here."

Kasumi cursed. "A trap?" She knew it had been too easy.

"Unknown. You need to grab that screwdriver and get back down here."

Kasumi placed her hands on her hips and shook her head, "It's tempered glass with pressure point detection and if I had to guess, a field around it to prevent hacking software. If I touch it or activate my program, it will…sound…the alarm…"

"And send a whole team up? I think we have successfully accomplished that, Kasumi. I don't think it matters now what you do."

Kasumi smiled, "You know Peldok, I think you're right. Wait for my signal and get the net ready. I'll be down before you know it."

"The net will be in place."

Kasumi held out her omnitool, but her instincts told her it would be unwise. A field to prevent hacking was one thing, but a field that could potential harm her was another. She wasn't going to test her hypotheses. Instead she decided to go with a more "low tech" route.

Looking around Kasumi searched the museum for a suitable object that could do the job. The alarm would sound anyway, and maybe even lock her in, but if she was quick enough, she could outrun anything that was thrown her way.

Her eyes fell upon a statue of turian origin. The statue was dressed in ancient turian armor, but the head was bare. The fringe on turian's head was considerable, and by the looks of it, sharp. As she picked up the statue, she was surprised by the weight. It was light enough for her to swing it, but she knew that the material the artist used to sculpt it was durable enough to withstand a tremendous force placed upon it. _Just like turians_, Kasumi thought with amusement. In other words, the statue wouldn't break on Kasumi and to her that was good news.

Approaching the case, Kasumi could hear the footsteps of the squad that was coming to greet her. Holding the statue in both hands, Kasumi swung it high over her head and brought it down on the tempered glass, looking away as she did so.

A few things happened all at once. The alarms started to blare and as she suspected, the door she had come in through began to close while the large windows overlooking the city began to dim as shutters were brought down. The siren itself made it difficult for Kasumi to think; it was obvious that the sound was made to disorient any would-be thieves. The sounds of the oncoming force began to get louder and louder and soon there was a shout, as an asari commando unleashed a blast of biotic energy. The door flew open and Kasumi braced herself as the biotic wave crashed through the museum. Paintings and sculptures and armored dummies swayed and fell over, but Kasumi crouched low and steadied herself.

The lead asari commando shouted out an order, and the squad started to swarm the museum. Kasumi had only seconds to grab the screwdriver. Once it was in her hand, she made a run for one of the windows and as luck would have it, the shutter was coming down quickly but not fast enough.

The lead commando shouted once more, "Kasumi Goto, stand down and surrender!"

Kasumi smirked as she ran full speed at the window. Tucking the screwdriver into her belt, she held out her omnitool as it emitted a frequency that was meant to weaken the integrity of the glass. Curling into a ball, Kasumi crashed into the window, but not before shouting to her guests,

"Please thank Aria for the statue!"

On the ground below Peldok looked up as he heard the sounds of the window crashing, followed by shots from multiple assault rifles, submachine guns, and pistols. His eyes spotted Kasumi as she flew out the window and he signaled the human biotic who was standing a few feet away from him. Nodding in acknowledgement, the human held out his arms and a biotic field began to form around him and expand. As Kasumi turned in mid-air she began to gain speed and as she gained speed the field grew bigger.

The shots from above began to hit to the biotic field, but the human, Thierren, was not worried. He knew that the bullets would be stopped by his "net."

Within seconds Kasumi was enveloped in the biotic field and fell slowly to the ground. Giving Thierren a pat on the back, she quickly tucked the statue into her pack. She knew that the squad that had been up there shooting at her would soon be down at the ground level.

"Keep your barrier up," she commanded Thierren and he was quick to follow her orders. As she suspected, the squad was back down on the ground as shots began to fly over their heads while many more struck the barrier.

"Release the barrier," Kasumi said as she turned and made a dead run towards the alleyway that would serve as their escape route. Thierren raised his arms in front of him and pushed out, sending the biotic wave towards Aria's squad. Bodies of asari, vorcha, turian, and batarian mercenaries flew in all directions as the wave struck them head on. The distraction gave Kasumi and her team more than enough time to get away.

After 30 minutes of running through various alleyways and back streets, Kasumi activated her comm channel and called the Matriarch.

"Matriarch, I have the screwdriver. I will meet you at the third location in one hour."

**3**

* * *

**The** Doctor looked at the trio that stood before him. The leader was a turian male of considerable stature who was flanked by an equally impressive krogan and a turian female. The turian male was nodding at something Garrus was saying to him. The Doctor remained quiet while they spoke; he had made a decision before arriving at this outpost that he would allow Garrus to do most of the talking.

The armor he was wearing was uncomfortable. It was bulky and didn't allow for too much movement. He was able to keep most of his clothes on, except for his pants, jacket and shoes. He wore special leggings that hooked to his suspenders as well as his standard long sleeve off- white shirt. The red bowtie, of course, remained. He sighed softly as he turned to Liara and Renala, who were dressed in similar armor. To them the armor was natural, and the Doctor had to admit that the reddish coloring on the armor did make his companions look a bit more menacing. _Good,_ he thought, _we need menacing._

After a few minutes the unnamed turian and Garrus shook hands and made their way to the Doctor. Garrus adjusted his own red armor before speaking. "Doctor, Captain Valkrius has offered to send a small squad to escort us to the Matriarch's base. He is expecting some resistance the closer we get to the location and I agree with him."

The Doctor smiled, "Captain Valkrius, you have my thanks. However, I don't think we will need an escort. We do need the element of surprise on our side and an armed escort might tip her off."

The Captain nodded once, "Of course, Doctor. Either way, we will follow you from a distance just in case you need reinforcements. I have received some reports about the Matriarch's forces and they seem to be growing steadily each day. Even Aria can't keep up with it. The Blood Pack, Blue Suns, and Eclipse are losing members to the Matriarch and no one seems to know why. It's troubling."

The Doctor reached down and grabbed the Kestrel Helmet that was laying on a nearby table. Placing it over his head, he blinked a bit as the display was activated. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the data that he was receiving, but he soon became accustomed to it. As he did so, Renala approached him and took his left hand, slipping on a small device.

"This omintool will be your main device for video and audio communication. It has limited functionality compared to some of the newer models, but if something goes down, you will need it." Stepping back Renala looked at him up and down, "You make a very convincing mercenary, Doctor. Are you sure you haven't done this before?"

The Doctor cleared his throat nervously under Renala's gaze before Captain Valkrius mercifully changed the subject. "Those doors will lead you to the elevator that will take you to C-deck," he said, motioning to a set of doors on the far left side of the outpost. "From there, Operative Thandrus will lead you to where you need to go. Keep in contact with my team; we won't be far behind."

The Doctor nodded before extending his hand to the Captain, "The Talons have my thanks."

Captain Valkrius shook his hand firmly, "Of course Doctor." Looking at Garrus, the Captain continued, "Commander Shepard worked with Nyreen Kandros to help the people of Omega reclaim this station from Cerberus. It was the least we could do."

Before Garrus could speak another Talon approached the Captain, "Captain! We just received a report that someone broke into the Old Tower on B-deck."

"What happened?" The Captain asked.

"The reports we are receiving are mixed, but from what we have been able to piece together is that someone broke into one of Aria's safe houses and property was taken. No one knows what it was, but Aria is sending her lieutenants and about 20 squads after the thief."

"Kasumi," the Doctor said with certainty.

Liara could only agree, "Kasumi. This can only mean one thing: she has your screwdriver."

The Doctor gathered his things and started for the doors. "We have to go. Now."

**4**

* * *

**For** the first time in many years, Kasumi felt extreme happiness. In fact, Kasumi could count on one hand the times she had felt this elated, this overjoyed. The times she spent with Keiji, the time when she was on the Normandy, and now, it would be in the presence of the Matriarch when Kasumi handed her the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

Kasumi cursed her slow legs. They could have easily taken a shuttle to the third location, but they had to keep cover. Kasumi knew that Aria would have whole ground forces looking for her, but Kasumi didn't have time to worry about what Aria T'Loak was doing at this moment. She needed to get to the Matriarch.

Kasumi and her team approached the apartment located in C-deck with extreme caution. Kasumi was confident that they had not been followed and she knew with unwavering certainty that the Matriarch would have taken all necessary precautions to safeguard the perimeter. Still, a strange feeling on the back of Kasumi's neck reminded her that things never went as planned.

The two batarians who were tasked with guarding the entrance to the apartment let them in without incident. They knew her well enough that a full body scan was not necessary. Kasumi bid her teammates farewell at the door and made a run for the elevator. Her patience had run its course and she desperately wanted to show the Matriarch what she had done for her.

Exiting the elevator, she arrived on the top floor of the six-story building. At the end of the corridor, the door opened easily for her. As Kasumi entered her eyes fell upon the one person she had longed to see.

The Matriarch.

The Matriarch had been looking out the window. She had been watching the shuttles and the skycars fly by while larger vehicles made slower progress. She had been looking at other buildings, wondering what was going on in them. Once in a while she caught sight of an asari, or an elcor, or a krogan. Citizens of Omega going about their day.

It was the only thing she could do to keep her mind off the incessant drumming that filled her head.

Upon hearing Kasumi enter the apartment, the Matriarch turned around and smiled. It took everything in Kasumi's power not to fall at the Matriarch's feet, or worse, just run up to her and hold her. Instead, Kasumi composed herself and approached the Matriarch calmly, her hand pulling the screwdriver out of her belt.

"Matriarch, I have it." Kasumi said with a deep sense of pride as she held the screwdriver out before her.

The Matriarch looked at the screwdriver and let out a small, satisfying sigh. She had waited so long for this moment. _This glorious moment when I can finally return home_! She thought triumphantly. Reaching out, her gloved hands curled around the screwdriver and instantly she felt a strange connection to the device. It was as though the device could speak to her.

Kasumi watched the Matriarch intently, hoping to hear the Matriarch say "thank you" or express her gratitude in some other way. _A gift would be nice,_ Kasumi thought.

Instead, the Matriarch dismissed Kasumi with a wave of her hand as her eyes were fixated on the sonic screwdriver. Kasumi's heart dropped to her stomach as she looked around nervous uncertainty. One of the batarian guards who stood at the far end of the apartment motioned to the door while the other batarian approached Kasumi.

"Kasumi, it's time you left," the batarian said gruffly. Kasumi shook her head slowly. _No, I have done my service to the Matriarch,_ she thought, a feeling of panic creeping up inside her,_ she will thank me for what I have done_.

The other batarian drew his Avenger assault rifle and started to make his approach. The batarian who stood by Kasumi blinked his four eyes and repeated, "Kasumi, you have to leave. Now."

Kasumi shook her head once more and took one step toward the Matriarch and as she took the step, she immediately regretted it. The batarian close to her, with assault rifle now in his hands, held it out and roughly pushed Kasumi back. "This is my last time asking you nicely, Kasumi," he warned.

Kasumi stepped back and held up her hands. Intense emotions flooded through her as she wondered why the Matriarch was not stopping this. Looking at the Matriarch, Kasumi could only ask, "Matriarch?"

The Matriarch was handling the sonic screwdriver as one would handle a very precious, fragile object. She thought she could hear something in the screwdriver, something trying to speak to her. The drumming in her head was subsiding; it was faint now, but still very much present. In the midst of the voices and the drumming, the Matriarch heard a pleading voice calling her name. Turning, the Matriarch looked at Kasumi and Kasumi could see that the Matriarch was surprised that she was still there.

"Kasumi, you were asked to leave."

Devastated, Kasumi took a few more steps back and turned away from the Matriarch. She felt as though she had failed the Matriarch somehow. _But how?_ Her thoughts screamed at her.

At that moment the apartment door opened. On the other side of the door was one of the Matriarch's vorcha and behind him was a well-armored quartet of mercenaries. Kasumi's eyes fell upon them as she quickly sized them up. All four mercenaries wore Kestral Helmets so she could not see their faces, but she knew they were Talons due to their red armor. She could also see that one was an asari, another one was a turian, the third one was a human female, and the last one to enter was a human male.

She could also see that the turian had drawn his Carnifex heavy pistol.

Before Kasumi could say anything, the asari hit her with Stasis and she was immediately frozen in place. Her eyes could only watch as the turian brought his pistol up and swiftly brought it back down, knocking out the vorcha from behind. The human female had her omnitool activated and had it pointed at the first batarian who had approached Kasumi. With a press of a button, the batarian fell to his knees, the electric shock rendering him paralyzed. The asari was now on the second batarian and as she raised her hands into the air the batarian rose up with them. With a sweeping motion of her arms, the batarian was thrown into the far wall. His limp body slid down to the ground, but through her peripheral vision Kasumi could see that he was still alive.

The Matriarch had been so consumed with the sonic screwdriver that she had not had the time to process what was happening before her. To Kasumi, this all took but a few seconds and the four mercenaries were making their way towards the Matriarch. Realizing now that she was in danger, the Matriarch quickly prepared herself, but it was too late. The turian mercenary now had his Vindicator assault rifle out and was pointing it at the Matriarch, the asari had a biotic barrier up to protect the group, while the human female also had her Carnifex heavy pistol out and had it aimed at the Matriarch. The human male, in contrast to his crew, stood there silently.

The Matriarch assessed the situation and lowered her hands. The human male then took slow, deliberate steps towards the Matriarch and stopped within a few paces of her. As the Stasis started to wear off, Kasumi was able to turn around in time to see the human male reach up and remove his helmet, revealing only his dark brown hair. His fantastic, dark brown hair.

The Matriarch took one look at the human male and stood there in amazement. Kasumi watched the Matriarch's eyes and saw that the Matriarch knew exactly who this man was.

"Matriarch," he said gravely, "I'm the Doctor. And you have something that belongs to me."


	7. Legacy and Epilogue

_**Chapter 7: Legacy (and Epilogue)**_

**1**

* * *

**The** Matriarch stood motionless as her lavender eyes connected with the Doctor's. For a full minute, everything was at a standstill. Liara chanced a sideways glance at Garrus, and Garrus, with his assault rifle still fixed on the Matriarch, could only shake his head. Kasumi, now fully able to move, approached them slowly, but kept her distance. Thandrus stood off to the side away from everyone. She did not trust herself to be too close to the Matriarch.

"How did you…?" the Matriarch finally asked.

"Psychic paper and a friend. Two good things to have when trying to infiltrate a heavily guarded apartment," the Doctor answered matter-of-factly.

The Matriarch's eyes darted over to Thandrus. "You brought them here?" she asked coolly. Thandrus kept her eyes down, her heart sinking from her betrayal.

The Matriarch turned away from the Doctor, her hands still clutching the sonic screwdriver. She could feel something compelling her to take action, a wordless suggestion telling her to call the TARDIS.

The Doctor took a step forward as his friends followed suit. "Matriarch," he said forcefully.

The Matriarch slowly made her way to a large window that overlooked C-deck. She looked down at the small instrument in her hands. "Tell me, Doctor. Why are you here?"

"You know why I am here," the Doctor began but the Matriarch quickly interrupted him. "Yes, I know you're here for this," she held up the sonic screwdriver. "But that's not what I meant. I mean, why are you _here_? In this place? In this universe? How did you get here?"

The Doctor answered slowly, measuring his words, "Temporal rift. It wouldn't be the first time. I've been to parallel universes before and even a few alternate universes. Always different, yet strikingly the same."

The Matriarch turned and made her way back to the Doctor, and the Doctor couldn't help but notice her rather form-fitting outfit. It was the style that ultimately caught his attention. From the black leather one-piece, to the shimmering skirt of blue and silver cloth, the Doctor saw an influence in the clothes that he found familiar. His eyes stopped at the headpiece she wore, made from a piece of silver metal that covered her entire forehead, from the top of her head and down the sides of her face. The deep blue stone that hung from the middle of the headpiece caught the dim light of the room and sparkled faintly.

The Matriarch circled around the Doctor and made her way to Garrus and Liara. Garrus stood there like a stone while Liara kept her eyes on the Matriarch, ready for any movement. "And your friends?" The Matriarch asked, "Why are they here? Why do they follow you?"

The Doctor shrugged as he turned to face her, "They follow because they choose to. Unlike your lot," he said as he motioned to Kasumi and Thandrus, "who follow because they are compelled to."

The Matriarch gave a small smile at comment, "Doctor, you misunderstand me," she said as she reached up to touch Garrus' chest armor, "They follow because they believe in me. In my legacy."

Garrus scoffed at the overconfidence of the Matriarch. Hearing a certain tone in those words caused Thandrus to tense up. In that exact moment, the Matriarch set off a Biotic Throw that caught Garrus, Liara, Thandrus and Kasumi in its wake. The Doctor cried out at his friends were flung towards the back wall and held there. The Matriarch, now covered in a purple biotic field, held up a hand towards the Doctor, "Don't," she warned. The Doctor looked helplessly as his friends tried to do everything in their power to pull themselves from the wall, but to no avail.

The Doctor shouted angrily, "LET THEM GO!"

The Matriarch turned to face him, the biotic field behind her holding steady, "Or what, Doctor? You think you can overpower me? I don't think so."

The Doctor clenched his jaw as he looked at his friends as they hung limply from the wall. "Please," he pleaded, "let them go. Just tell me what you need and I promise that I will do what I can to help you."

Shaking her head, the Matriarch answered, "No, Doctor. I do not require your help." With a flip of her hand, the biotic field dissipated, letting all four of them to fall to the ground with an audible thud.

"So this is it?" the Doctor asked bitterly, "You take my screwdriver to call my TARDIS and go where? My universe? And then what? You enslave the human race? Try to destroy an innocent world? Force more people to serve you? Would the Master finally uphold his legacy?"

"You think I'm the Master?" The Matriarch asked.

The Doctor smiled thinly, "No, of course not. You're his daughter."

**2**

* * *

**The** Matriarch's guards started to stir as she rounded on the Doctor. "You are as brilliant as my father said you were. When did you know?"

The Doctor eyes followed her as his friends got to their feet slowly. He knew that they would be out of the fight for the time being so the most he could do was stall. "When I first saw you. You see Time Lords have a way of knowing when other Time Lords are around. If you were the Master, I would have known right away. But when I first saw you, I felt a certain familiarity, but not in the sense that I _knew_ you."

The Matriarch nodded slowly. "My father told me the stories. My mother never believed a word of it. She thought his stories were a demonstration of his creative mind, and found him intriguing because of it. But I," she said earnestly, "_I_ believed him. I knew that he was powerful. I knew that he held within his mind knowledge that would take me hundreds of years to amass. My mother was a fool, and when she left, I stayed with my father." She clutched the sonic screwdriver even tighter in her hands. "He shared his memories with me once. I saw it, Doctor." The Doctor gave her the slightest nod of acknowledgment. He knew exactly what she saw. "It was beautiful." She closed her eyes and the Doctor took a step forward. The Matriarch swayed in place, her mind going to the one place her father shared with her, the Untempered Schism. "I saw his many faces," she continued, "and I saw what he had done. To the humans, to you." The Doctor took another step forward and behind him, Garrus and Liara watched the guards.

"Matriarch," the Doctor started to say as his hands went up in a non-threatening manner. "What he did..."

The Matriarch's eyes flew open, "What he did was necessary."

The Doctor stopped in mid-step while the Matriarch continued, "Time Lords. You have the power of all of time and space at the palm of your hands. You are granted dominion over all lesser beings. My father knew this, but you? You were reluctant. The silent observer, always watching, never interfering. And for what?"

The batarian guards were now fully awake with their pistols out and aimed at the Doctor and his companions. The Doctor held his arm out behind him, his hand waving off Garrus and Liara.

The Matriarch watched the Doctor, her eyes now burning with anger. "You sat idly by while hundreds of thousands of your precious humans died from war, famine and disease. You let it all happen when you could have done something. Even being here, in _my_ universe, you wouldn't stop the Reapers from tearing apart our worlds and destroying everything that we had worked so hard to build."

Garrus stirred and Liara put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. The Doctor's frustration started to mount, "There was nothing I could do! These were fixed points in time! I could never have stopped this from happening."

"You didn't stop it because you chose not to." The Matriarch held up the sonic screwdriver, "But I can."

**3**

* * *

**The** Doctor held up his hands, "No! Matriarch, you don't understand! You can't do this!" The Doctor took one more step towards the Matriarch and to his right he could hear the batarian guards loading their weapons. Garrus could sense that the situation had become critical, "Doctor, what's going on?"

The Matriarch smiled as her mind connected with the sonic screwdriver. She could see where the TARDIS was hiding and through a simple command, she called to it. "I am going to do what should have been done years ago, Archangel." Garrus looked at the Matriarch, "What do you mean?"

"I can change the past. I can prevent all of this from happening! I can save them!" Her voice started to rise in volume while her heart raced in anticipation. She could feel the TARDIS coming closer.

Liara spoke from behind them, "What about the consequences? You can't simply go back and stop this. All of this was meant to happen!"

The Matriarch looked down at them all and shook her head, "I don't believe that." Looking at Garrus, she tried to appeal to him, "Imagine. Shepard would be alive. She wouldn't have had to die! No one would have had to die!"

Garrus stiffened at Shepard's name, "Shepard died a hero. She knew the risks…"

The Doctor shook his head and made another attempt to make the Matriarch see reason. "You can't stop the Reaper attack! I have seen what happens when someone tries to change the past. I have seen what is created when a person who is meant to die is saved. I have seen all of time stop on a single minute when a fixed point was altered. Would you do that to all of us, Matriarch, just to save your legacy?"

"Yes," was the Matriarch's only response. From all around them they could hear the combined whirling and pulsating sounds of the TARDIS. The Doctor tried to take one more step, but the batarian guards were upon them, assault rifles at the ready and aimed at their heads. "I wouldn't," the lead batarian warned.

The Doctor looked around frantically. He had to do something to stop her. Without his TARDIS he would be trapped in this universe with time being irrevocably changed. He could only imagine what kind of destruction the Matriarch's actions would do to this timeline.

The sounds of the TARDIS grew louder and louder until the blue box appeared behind the Matriarch. With a triumphant shout the Matriarch turned around and took in the wondrous sight of the TARDIS. "Doctor," she said as she walked towards the TARDIS, the sonic screwdriver held before her and activated. "This was meant to be! I was meant to preserve my legacy and to save them all." Her voice shook with unbridled excitement.

The Doctor, suddenly feeling very fatigued and thoroughly defeated, looked at his TARDIS. "You will destroy _everything_," he said as frustrated tears fell from his eyes.

There was an audible click as the TARDIS door unlocked and with a push, the Matriarch opened the TARDIS door. Turning around, the Matriarch looked down at the Doctor.

"You think you're the only Time Lord in this universe. You're wrong." The Doctor looked up and blinked in surprise. "What..?" he asked incredulously.

"Who do you think built the Mass Relays?" The Matriarch continued. "Who uplifted the Protheans and the Leviathans? Who do you think lived on Ilos all those centuries ago?" The Doctor watched her, "What are you saying?"

"_Our _legacy, Doctor." The Matriarch said as she stepped into the TARDIS.

"NO! NO! NO!" The Doctor shouted as he made a move forward. As the batarian guards moved to stop him, Thandrus was suddenly upon them. Grabbing the lead batarian's assault rifle, she slammed the barrel of the rifle into his face. The batarian stumbled back and fell down to the ground unconscious. Liara quickly threw up a hand that sent the second batarian flying across the room. The Doctor ran up all the while shouting at the Matriarch. "NO! STOP! PLEASE!" And as he made his way to the spot where the TARDIS had landed, it was already gone.

**4**

* * *

**The** Doctor looked at the spot where his TARDIS has stood just seconds before and hung his head. He was resigned to stand there and let the world end as there was nothing else he could possibly do. His mind raced with ideas and calculations on how he could possibly find the Matriarch and stop her before she did any major damage. Even though his mind raced, there was still a louder voice in his head telling him to let go.

The Doctor took a step back and turned to his companions who were all watching him quietly. He knew that they were looking to him for direction and guidance, but he had nothing to say to them. He no longer wanted to talk.

"Doctor?" Liara said quietly as she approached him. Wrapping her arms around him, she embraced him tightly. It was all that she could think to do at this time. _Let it all end_, she thought.

Garrus looked at the unconscious batarians on the ground and looked at Thandrus. Grunting in approval he looked back at the Doctor. "So this is it? We just hang out here and let the Matriarch change the past and destroy our future?"

Pulling himself away from Liara, the Doctor approached Garrus. "And what would you have me do, Garrus? I have no TARDIS, no screwdriver and no plan! I've got nothing here!" His voice rose in anger as Garrus stared him down.

From behind them all, Kasumi cleared her throat. The Doctor, Liara, Garrus and Thandrus all turned at the same time to look at her, having completely forgotten that she was ever in the room.

"It sounds like you need something that can help you travel through time." Kasumi said as she reached into her belt. Walking up to the Doctor, she took his wrist and attached a device to it. Looking down, the Doctor's eyes widened.

On his wrist was a Vortex Manipulator.

He grinned broadly as he placed a hand on hers, "Kasumi Goto," he said admiringly, "Time Agent?"

"Perhaps I am and perhaps I'm not," Kasumi said with a shrug, "But you don't become the best thief in the galaxy without having the proper tech."

The Doctor pulled Kasumi close to him in a tight bear hug. After kissing the top of her head, he let her go. He looked at Garrus, Liara and Thandrus. "Vortex Manipulator. Cheap way to time travel, but it gets the job done in a pinch. Now we just need to find where she went…" his voice trailed off as both Garrus and Liara doubled over as their hands went up to hold their heads.

"Garrus? Liara?" The Doctor asked as Thandrus checked on them.

Liara closed her eyes as she exhaled. "Doctor," she breathed, "We know where she went."

**5**

* * *

**Lessus – 2186**

Commander Shepard jumped off the shuttle with Garrus and Liara in tow. Holding out her Carnifex Hand Cannon, she surveyed the monastery, looking for any signs of life. They had been sent there to investigate the distress beacon and to locate the missing asari commando unit, but the silence was ominous.

In the distance they could hear the ear-piercing screech of multiple banshees.

"That sound," Liara said quietly, "there's more than one out there."

Walking through the dark halls of the monastery, Shepard kept her pistol at the ready while she read written communications from student and Matriarchs. In the distance they continued to hear those familiar sounds.

As she rounded a corner, Shepard's eyes feel upon a dead commando. Taking a knee beside the body, Shepard checked for a pulse, but it was a futile effort. It was clear that this asari had been dead for some time.

"Reapers," Garrus said, "looks like we know why the Commando teams went silent."

"This monastery is out of the way," Shepard said as she looked around. "What did the Reapers want with Ardat-Yakshi?"

Liara quickly read the tablet that was in the commando's possession. "Anything useful?" Shepard asked.

"A floor plan, marked with the NavPoint location of a bomb. It's in some place called the Great Hall."

Shepard nodded as she approached an exit door, "If there's no survivors, let's get to the Great Hall and set off that bomb."

**6**

* * *

**A** few rooms away, the Doctor, Liara and Garrus appeared. Quickly drawing their weapons, Liara and Garrus looked at their surroundings.

"This is the place," Garrus confirmed. "Lessus, in the Ardat-Yakshi Monastery. We came here looking for an asari commando unit that had been sent here, but were never heard from. Nasty business."

The Doctor nodded and looked around. In the distance he could hear screeching. Turning to his friends, he silently asked the question.

"Banshees," Liara replied. "Asaris who had been turned into Reapers. We have to be careful."

The Doctor held up a hand before they moved on, "Liara, Garrus. We do have to be extremely careful here. Not just because of the Reapers, but there are two of you running around this monastery. If you see yourselves, stay back. We can't risk having you running into...you."

"Understood, Doctor," Garrus answered followed by Liara's "Yes, of course."

As Liara moved to the exit, the Doctor moved in front of Garrus and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Garrus," the Doctor said in hushed tones, "I know she is here, but you cannot let your feelings interfere with what we need to do."

Garrus looked at the Doctor for a second before responding, "Understood. You don't have to worry about me Doctor. I've said my goodbyes."

Letting go, the Doctor moved aside so that Garrus could continue forward.

**7**

* * *

**Shepard** held out her hand and activated her omnitool to unlock the door. Within a few seconds the door opened and revealed an open courtyard that overlooked the ice-laden world of Lessus. Approaching the balcony, Shepard looked down and saw a familiar face as a Cannibal cried out and fell dead to the floor.

"Very good," Samara said in greeting, "I almost didn't hear you."

"Samara?" Shepard asked in surprise.

"It's been some time, Shepard. You are a most welcomed sight. The corruption here runs deep."

Garrus asked quickly, "What brings a Justicar out here?"

"My daughters have lived here for centuries, Garrus," Samara replied, "I've come for them." Looking down, she continued, "Unfortunately, the Reapers had already infested this place by the time I arrived."

Shepard nodded and suddenly she realized that another asari was standing behind Samara, "And who is your friend, Samara?"

The Matriarch took her place beside Samara, "I am the Matriarch," she said with slight tilt of her head, "And I am here to protect our legacy."

**8**

* * *

**The** Doctor held out a hand to stop Liara and Garrus. From his vantage point, he could see the Matriarch talking to someone above them on the balcony and another asari dressed in red. Pointing to the unnamed asari, the Doctor asked about her.

"Samara," Garrus said quietly, "Asari Justicar. Don't upset her or she'll tear you to apart."

"She is a friend," Liara added. "She came here looking for her daughters. It didn't end as well as we would have hoped."

"The Matriarch is with her," the Doctor observed.

Garrus shook his head, "She wasn't here the first time." He then shook his head a bit more vigorously as though he was trying to get his memories back in order, "I am sure of it. We never saw her here, but yet, I remember it. I remember meeting her." Liara placed a hand on her head, her memories being erased and rewritten even as she stood there.

"The Matriarch is rewriting your history," the Doctor confirmed. "You're going to see the after images of your old memories, and the ones she's creating will start to become clearer. It's going to take some time to adjust."

"Doctor," Liara said quietly, "We'll know how this ends."

"Whatever you do," the Doctor warned, "do not tell me what happens. She's rewriting your memories but I cannot interfere any more than I am right now."

In front of them, the conversation between Shepard, Samara, and the Matriarch continued. Off in the distance they heard another screech of an approaching banshee.

"We're out of time," Samara said with a look to the Matriarch. The Matriarch nodded once and started making her way to the closest door. Engaging her biotic powers, Samara clenched her fists and followed the Matriarch, "We'll meet again, Shepard. The Matriarch and I will draw these creatures off."

Shepard yelled out "Wait!" But it was too late. "Let's go," she said to Garrus and Liara. Within moments the three of them disappeared to a room on the left.

The Doctor came out from behind the wall were they had been hiding. Liara and Garrus quickly had their weapons out, ready for any surprise attack from a cannibal or a banshee.

"What's in the room to the left?" The Doctor asked as he came to the door that the Matriarch had gone through.

"An open courtyard," Garrus said as he took cover to the right of the door. "We were attacked by a couple of banshees and handful of cannibals. Hell of a fight."

Liara took her place at the left of the door, "After the fight we met up with Samara and her daughter Falere. They were going to the Great Hall to rescue Samara's other daughter Rila." In her mind her memories shifted and a new one took its place. Holding back the rest of the story, Liara focused on the door, "Stand aside Doctor."

The Doctor gave her a look before doing as he was told. With a wave of her hand, Liara opened the door and Garrus rushed into another long hallway. All around them, they could see signs of the battle that occurred within. The bodies of Reapers and asari alike were strewn on the floor and on various chairs, benches, and tables.

Garrus kept his eyes on the door that was located at the end of hallway, while Liara scanned the area with her omnitool. "No signs of life in this vicinity," she confirmed. After pushing a few buttons on her omnitool, she pointed to the door, "That door will lead us to the Great Hall. But we have to hurry, the other us should be close to the Hall as well."

The Doctor quickened his pace while Garrus kept the lead. Liara covered the rear with her omnitool still activated.

As they approached the door, they could hear the sounds of gunfire along with the grunts and screeches of the Reapers. Once in a while they heard a boom as someone activated their biotic powers.

Garrus looked to his friends, "That's either us, or the Matriarch and Samara are doing some serious damage in there."

Liara shook her head, "That's not us. We would have been in the main common room."

"Either way," the Doctor said as he approached the door, "we need to get to the Great Hall. I have a feeling the Matriarch will be there."

Holding out her omnitool, Liara opened up the door and they rushed into the next room.

**9**

* * *

**As** the cannibal crashed into the wall and slowly fell to the ground, the Matriarch calmly made her way through to the next study room. Samara had parted ways in search of Falere and Rila and the Matriarch was glad for it. Holding out her hand, the Matriarch's biotic energy emanated from every pore of her body. She had already taken down a fair share of banshees and cannibals. Even a few ravagers had tried to bar her way. The Matriarch knew that Shepard and her team would soon reach the Great Hall and the Matriarch had every intention of getting there first.

Her past self would have fled the Monastery by now. The Matriarch cursed under her breath at the thought of such a cowardly act. _I should have stayed here_, she thought. Instead, she saved herself and when the news reports spoke of the destruction of the Monastery, the Matriarch knew that all that she had tried so hard to protect was utterly lost.

She had hoped things would be different now that she had the TARDIS in her possession.

The TARDIS had landed on the outskirts of the Monastery proper and to the Matriarch's surprise it had not taken her to the time and place that she had specified. After an hour of trying to get the TARDIS to leave Lessus, the Matriarch gave up and decided that the best thing for her to do was to handle the Reaper threat first and then return to the TARDIS. In time the Matriarch met up with Samara and learned of the plan to destroy the Monastery. Now she walked through the cold, dead corridors of what was once her home to stop the detonation of the bomb.

Making her way through the next room, the Matriarch caught sight of a young asari running away from a pack of cannibals and three banshees. Every once in a while the asari threw a ball of biotic energy behind her in an effort to slow down her pursuers. Unfortunately her tactic had little effect as the Reapers were quickly advancing upon her.

The Matriarch recognized the asari as Samara's daughter, Rila.

Running at full speed, the Matriarch called up her biotic powers and unleashed a massive Biotic Slam. The wave caught the cannibals by surprised as they were pulled into the air and brought down to the ground with an incredibly powerful force. Rila stopped in her tracks and looked at the asari who was aiding her.

"Matriarch!" Rila cried out as she threw another biotic orb at the next wave of cannibals.

"Rila!" the Matriarch shouted, "Run!"

Rila took one step back as though she was about to run, but stopped and shook her head. Pointing to thebBanshees that were approaching, Rila warned the Matriarch.

The Matriarch turned quickly and sent a Shockwave that rippled through the quickly approaching banshees. Using the Shockwave as a distraction, the Matriarch made her way to Rila just as she called up a barrier to block a ball of biotic energy from the lead banshee. Pushing Rila towards the door, the Matriarch commanded Rila once more to leave, "Go. Now!"

"Matriarch, I can't leave you." Rila said, her voice breaking from the thought of seeing another one of her respected Matriarchs perish.

Holding out her hand, the Matriarch created another Barrier on top of the one Rila was holding. Turning to Rila, the Matriarch smiled calmly as an attempt to set Rila at ease, "Rila, go. Your mother and sister are looking for you."

Rila shook her head vigorously, "I…"

At that moment the three banshees screeched in unison and sent a fury of biotic attacks at the barrier. This distraction gave the Matriarch enough time to open the door behind them. Lowering her barrier for a split second, the Matriarch caught Rila in a biotic field and pushed her through the door. Rila shouted in both surprise and horror as the Matriarch closed the door behind her. Getting to her feet, Rila ran to the door and started pounding furiously.

"Matriarch!" she shouted.

**10**

* * *

**The** Doctor paused for a second as he heard a great commotion coming from the room just ahead. At that moment, Liara and Garrus stumbled and fell against the nearby wall, a wave of disorientation washing over them.

"Doctor," Liara breathed, "the Matriarch."

The Doctor held up a hand to stop her from saying anything more, but it was Garrus who continued.

"Something's happened."

**11**

* * *

**Shepard** checked Liara and Garrus to make sure they were ready to enter the Great Hall. Reloading their weapons, they indicated that it was time to set off the bomb and get out of there. Hitting the button on the control panel, Shepard opened the door to the Great Hall.

Rushing in, Shepard could see the bomb at the end of the room.

"There's our bomb," Garrus said, confirming what Shepard saw. As they went in for a closer look, Shepard also noticed that they had a few visitors in the Great Hall.

"Matriarch, Matriarch, wake up," Rila said as she placed her hands on the Matriarch's shoulders and shook her.

"Rila," Samara said quietly, "The Matriarch cannot hear us."

Falere knelt down by her sister, "Look, she's still alive!"

Samara looked at the Matriarch and could see some signs of life, "I know, but I am afraid that the Matriarch is not well."

Rila shook her head as tears fell from her eyes, "She's not one of them yet. She can't be. She just needs to wake up!"

Slowly Shepard, Liara and Garrus approached them. Against the bomb, the Matriarch laid there unresponsive with her eyes closed. Samara stood over her daughters as Rila continued to shake the Matriarch awake, while Falere placed a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder.

Rila said again, "Matriarch? Matriarch, can you hear me?"

As soon as the second question was asked, the Matriarch's eye shot open and slowly she turned her head to Rila. Rila smiled and stood up, extending a hand to the Matriarch. Falere stood up with her sister and eyed the Matriarch apprehensively. Shepard watched as the Matriarch shook her head, and when she opened her eyes once more, they were as black as night. Rila gasped as the Matriarch lunged for her, grabbing her by the neck. Falere was soon upon the Matriarch, pulling her way from her sister. Rila collected herself as the Matriarch fell to the floor.

Falere turned to her mother, "Why would she do that?" she asked worriedly.

Samara looked at the Matriarch, "Because they have begun to turn her into one of the Reaper's creatures."

"I'm sorry," Shepard said quietly as they joined them. Turning to Garrus, Shepard continued, "Can we set off that bomb?"

"Not without a detonator," Garrus said while Falere, Rila and Samara checked on the Matriarch.

Shepard walked away from them and approached the bomb, "Commandos would've had one. We've got to find it."

From behind them, a banshee suddenly screeched as it entered the room soon followed by husks and another banshee.

"We have to defend the bomb!" Liara said as got her pistol ready. Rila, Falere, and Samara all turned and watched the approaching force. Engaging their biotic powers, they took a defensive stance and called up barriers to protect the Matriarch and the bomb.

The skirmish lasted only a few minutes and as the last banshee fell and disintegrated, Shepard made her way back to the bomb.

The Matriarch stirred and opened her eyes. Shepard pointed her assault rifle at the Matriarch, expecting to see the same black eyes they had witnessed before. Instead, the Matriarchs' normal lavender eyes stared at them. Getting up, the Matriarch approached Samara and her daughters. "Rila, Falere, go! You must take the elevator."

"Matriarch," Rila said, "what are you doing?"

The Matriarch looked at Shepard before turning to Rila, "It's too late for me. There are hundreds coming. Just go!" Holding out her hand, she opened it and showed them the detonator that they had been searching for.

"No!" Rila shouted. "You saved my life! I can't let you do this!"

The Matriarch smiled sadly, "I should have done it before and I am sorry that I waited until now."

Falere gave the Matriarch a questioning look, but before she could ask Shepard yelled, "Move!" Soon Samara had Rila by the arm as Shepard grabbed Falere and as a group they ran towards the elevator.

"No!" Rila cried as she struggled against the strong hold of her mother. As they ran into the elevator, Shepard slammed the button that closed the doors and soon they were making their way to the upper levels where their shuttle waited.

The Matriarch watched as they ran, leaving her behind with the detonator in hand. With a stifled cry, the Matriarch fell back against the crates. Slowly she could feel herself turning. After a few minutes, the Matriarch saw the banshees coming for her.

Falling to the ground, the Matriarch closed her eyes. _This should be my fate_, she thought, _my legacy gone._

She felt the cold, boney hands of a banshee around her head and as she was lifted up, the Matriarch opened her eyes and looked straight into the disfigured face of the grotesque creature that was once an asari Matriarch like herself. Unable to move, she could only watch as the Banshee drew back its hand and with a quick motion, brought it forward, piercing the Matriarch's stomach. The Matriarch gasped from the pain, but her anger quickly replaced the pain.

Breathless and drained, the Matriarch spoke quietly, "I will not be a slave to the Reapers," and slowly her hand opened the cover on the detonator and as she held her finger over the trigger, a single gunshot rang out.

**12**

* * *

**The** Doctor and his companions had witnessed Shepard leading the rest of the group to the elevator. Garrus turned away briefly, allowing himself to be distracted by the sight before him. Even though he had said his goodbyes, seeing Shepard…

"Doctor," Garrus said urgently, pointing to the where the bomb was. In front of them, they saw a handful of banshees approaching the bomb and the asari who was on the floor. Holstering his assault rifle and reaching for his sniper rifle, Garrus prepared to take aim at the banshee closest to the asari. In his mind he remembered that it was Rila who had given up her life to detonate the bomb, but his new memories told him a different story.

He knew that it was the Matriarch who laid there in Rila's place.

As the banshee reached down to the pick up the Matriarch, Garrus moved forward with Liara closely behind with a barrier activated to protect them both. The Doctor stayed a few steps back and when he saw the other banshees and cannibals enter the Great Hall, he fell back behind one of the columns.

Garrus took one more step and stopped to kneel down. He watched through the scope of his sniper rifle as the banshee stabbed the Matriarch in the stomach but he kept his eyes focused on the Matriarch's hand. When he saw her preparing to detonate the bomb, he fired. The bullet shot out and struck the banshee in the head. Startled the banshee dropped the Matriarch turned around, a screech filling the Great Hall. The other banshees turned as well, and Garrus got up quickly and took out his assault rifle.

"Doctor!" He shouted, "Hide!" The Doctor took a few more steps back and hugged the wall. He knew that he would be completely useless in a gunfight.

Liara ran up to Garrus, "Get the Matriarch and I will cover you," she said as the banshees began to quiver and reappear closer to them. Garrus nodded and made a dash for the Matriarch who had slipped back into unconsciousness.

The banshees began their assault on the barrier and Liara strained to keep the barrier up. Absorbing this many biotic hits was taking a mental toll on her. The cannibals had also joined the fight, and were shooting at both her and Garrus. Garrus, now running at full speed, shot freely at the oncoming Reapers in an attempt to interrupt their barrage long enough to give Liara some time to breathe.

"We're not going to be able to make it out the way we came!" Liara yelled at Garrus. Looking behind her, she shouted at the Doctor, "Doctor! Follow us!" The Doctor nodded and came out from his hiding spot and ran full speed towards Liara and her barrier. Shots ricocheted around him as the cannibals tried to shoot a fast moving target and for once the Doctor was glad to have the Talon armor on. The Doctor dodged this way and that, leaving the cannibals and banshees with no clear shot. Soon he was under Liara's protective barrier, but the sweat falling down her face told the Doctor that she couldn't hold up the barrier for much longer.

Garrus ran up the steps to where the Matriarch laid and holstered his assault rifle. Picking up the detonator, he looked to Liara and the Doctor who were now joining him.

"We've got to blow this place up!" Garrus said as the banshees began to make their slow approach towards them, blocking any escapes routes they might have thought they had. The cannibals continued to shoot at them, but their shots were stopped by the barrier. Liara breathed heavily from the exertion. "Garrus," she said between deep breaths, "I can't keep this barrier up for long. If you press the button now, we're going to be caught in the blast."

Garrus nodded, "That's why I need you to take the Doctor and get out of here."

"No!" the Doctor shouted quickly, "This is NOT how this is going to end." Kneeling down by the unconscious Matriarch, he searched her clothes quickly. Within seconds he felt his sonic screwdriver. Pulling it out, he smiled widely at his friends, and with a quick snap of his wrist, he activated the screwdriver and held it out in front of him.

As the banshee approached them, the whirling sounds of the TARDIS filled the Great Hall. Looking down, the Doctor watched as the cold concrete flooring of the hall was replaced with the warm glow of the TARDIS floor. As the floor solidified, the Doctor jumped to his feet, his excitement and relief overwhelming him as looked at his beloved TARDIS.

"Doctor!" Liara said sharply, pulling the Doctor's focus back to them. The Doctor looked down and found the Matriarch now awake and sitting up. Kneeling before her, he placed a hand on her face. A pool of dark blood was beginning to form around her.

"Doctor," the Matriarch said as she breathed through the pain, "Our legacy."

"Shh," the Doctor said quietly, "It's safe."

The Matriarch shook her head, "No, not yet. There's still time."

"Matriarch," the Doctor said, "you're injured and you need to rest. You've done all you could."

"In the Monastery, there is a safe."

The Doctor asked, "Where is this safe?"

"In the Matriarch Living Quarters. You will find it there." The Matriarch said as she began to pull herself up. The Doctor placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her down, "What are you doing?"

"Doctor," the Matriarch said, her voice now a little more forceful, "It's time to finish this." She held out the detonator for all of them to see.

Liara shook her head, "Matriarch…"

The Matriarch turned to Liara, "I am already dead." Slowly she got to her feet, her wound looking more severe than they had thought. Holding her side, the Matriarch winced as she looked at the Doctor. "Take the TARDIS, but leave me here."

The Doctor nodded and started to make his way up the ramp to the TARDIS console. Flipping a few switches, he prepared the TARDIS for its next destination.

"Doctor?" The Matriarch asked as he readied himself to hit the last lever that would take them away from the Monastery.

"Matriarch." The Doctor answered.

"The TARDIS. It didn't take me where I wanted to go." The Matriarch said.

The Doctor shook his head, a sad smile crossing his face, "No. She took you where you needed to go."

The Matriarch nodded once, "Yes. Of course." Doubling over, she cried out as she felt herself turning, "Go. And Doctor," she said as her black eyes met with his blue, "I'm sorry."

The Doctor could only nod as he hit the last lever. The TARDIS soon began to whirl and pulse as it dematerialized within the Great Hall. The banshees and cannibals that surrounded the TARDIS stepped back in confusion as the big blue box disappeared.

In its place, the Matriarch now stood. Looking around, she breathed in slowly and detonated the bomb.

**13**

* * *

**Shepard** and her team watched from the shuttle as the Monastery exploded. Looking at the rubble that was once the Great Hall, Samara turned to her daughters.

"Are you sure you want to remain?"

Rila nodded, "It is our home, Mother. The Matriarch gave her life to save it. It is only right that we rebuild."

Falere added, "It is our legacy."

**14**

* * *

**In** the TARDIS, the Doctor looked at the t.v. screen located above him and saw the explosion. Garrus and Liara walked up the ramp and looked at him, an uncomfortable silence filling the room.

Garrus cleared his throat, "Doctor. The Matriarch. She changed a fixed point in time."

The Doctor turned to look at his friends. "Yes, she saved Rila, but didn't stop the explosion from happening. She traded one life for another. Someone was supposed to die here in Lessus, and so someone did. There was supposed to be a bomb that destroyed the Monastery, and it did. The Matriarch altered this timeline, and now who knows what will happen now that Rila is alive."

"Rila and Falere stay here," Liara responded. "They pledged to rebuild the Monastery. If we go forward back to our point in this timeline, things will have changed."

"Yes," the Doctor said, "but before we go there's something I need to find here."

**15**

* * *

**The** TARDIS rematerialized in a small clearing where the Matriarchs' Living Quarters once stood. Checking the scans, the Doctor knew that Rila and Falere would be in the Great Hall, trying to save as much as they could. It would be a challenge for them to rebuild such a place, but according to Liara they were making great progress in the present time.

Stepping out of the TARDIS, the unarmored Doctor looked at the shattered walls and broken furniture. The bodies that would have been found here were the first things to be removed by Rila and Falere. The Reaper corpses would undoubtedly be destroyed while the fallen asari would be given a proper burial.

There was no way of knowing where the safe was located or how they would know it was the one they were looking for. Garrus started the search by wading through the rubble, pulling out smaller containers and checking their contents.

After several hours, Liara called out to the Doctor, "I think I found something!"

The Doctor and Garrus quickly made their way to where Liara stood. Her omnitool was out as she did a scan of the medium sized container in front of her. The container was unlike the ones they had been finding. This one was a simple box, made with an alloy that Liara didn't recognize. Pushing a few buttons on her ominitool, she looked at the Doctor, a look of surprise crossing her face. "This container is made from nothing I have ever seen before."

Kneeling down, the Doctor checked the sides of the container. His eyes widened as he looked at writing that was written on both sides.

The language was Old High Gallifreyan.

Placing a hand on the box he immediately began to hear a rush of voices. Pulling his hand back, he looked up at his friends who were looking down at him with both worry and anticipation.

"It's Old High Gallifreyan," the Doctor explained. "An ancient language of the Time Lords. Almost extinct now. This box," he said as he looked back at it, "came from Gallifrey. The Master must have had it or maybe the Matriarch found it. Either way," he placed a hand on the box and the rush of indecipherable voices came back, "there is something in here."

Taking out his sonic screwdriver, the Doctor activated it and held it against the box. Hearing a click, the Doctor put his sonic screwdriver away in his top coat pocket. Placing his hands on both sides of the lid, the Doctor opened the box and looked in. In an instant the Doctor fell back and covered his face with his hands. Garrus and Liara exchanged a look as they leaned in to see what was inside the box.

What they found was a pile of gold and silver discs with a simple chain attached to each of them. There were circular patterns etched into the discs and each pattern looked different than the next.

Liara looked at the Doctor, whose head was still buried in his hands, "Doctor? What are these?"

The Doctor lowered his hands, and Liara could tell that he was struggling to maintain his composure. "Fob watches. Each one contains the essence of a Time Lord." Reaching into his coat, he pulled out another fob watch that matched the ones in the box. "See?" he said as he showed it to them, "I can contain who I am in this watch and make myself completely human. I've done so before. I had to. The Master had one as well. He never knew he had it until we drew his attention to it. You see," he said as he reached down and placed his hands on the watches, the voices rushing back to him, "these watches have a perception filter on them. Makes us ignore the watch; makes us think that it's not there."

"So these watches," Garrus said, "they belong to the Time Lords. But what does that mean?"

"It means," the Doctor said as he removed his hand from the watches, "that there are hundreds of Time Lords in this universe who think they are human."

**Epilogue**

Many months had passed since Liara and Garrus had returned to their own time. The Doctor had taken each of them back to their homes: Thandrus returned to the Citadel, Liara returned to Illium, Garrus returned to Palaven and Kasumi disappeared on her own. The Doctor had not spoken much about the fob watches he found on Lessus, but he had taken the box with him. As he dropped off each of his friends, he thanked them for their help in recovering his TARDIS, but left soon after. He made it clear to them that he hated goodbyes.

So it was a surprise to Garrus when one evening, while he was calibrating the forward gun arrays on a docked turian vessel, he heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS. Stepping out of the turian vessel, he watched as the big blue box appeared before him in the hangar where he was working. Garrus stood there waiting as the door flew open and the Doctor stepped out.

"Garrus!" the Doctor exclaimed as he approached the turian. Briefly shaking hands, the Doctor looked around the hangar. "New job?"

Garrus shrugged, "Whoever the Palaven military had calibrated their gun arrays was doing a poor job. They called me in to get the forward gun arrays up to proficiency. I did more than that."

The Doctor smiled, "Of course. And that's why I need you. You never fail to exceed expectations."

"What do you mean, Doctor?" Garrus asked.

"I need you to come with me, Garrus," the Doctor said seriously, "There must be a Gallifrey that exists here, but there is no record of a 'Gallifrey' in this universe. I believe someone was responsible for its removal from the records."

Garrus nodded, "The Reapers?"

"Maybe. Can't be too sure," was the Doctor's response.

"What do you plan to do?" Garrus asked.

On the Doctor's face was a look of pure determination, " I'm going to find Gallifrey and then I'm going to restore the Time Lords."


End file.
